Leaving the Hill
Love Leon Russell
Known mostly as a
session musician, Russell has played with artists as varied as
Jerry Lee Lewis,
George Harrison,
Delaney Bramlett,
Ringo Starr,
Elton John,
Eric Clapton,
The Byrds,
The Beach Boys,
Willie Nelson,
Badfinger,
Tijuana Brass,
Frank Sinatra,
The Band,
Glen Campbell, and
The Rolling Stones. With a solo career involving the genres of
rock and roll,
blues, and
gospel music, Russell began his musical career at the age of 14 years in the nightclubs of
Tulsa, OK. He and his group "The Starlighters", which included
J.J. Cale, Chuck Blackwell and Johnny Williams,
[2] were instrumental in creating the style of music known as
the Tulsa Sound. After settling in
Los Angeles, he studied guitar with
James Burton, and worked sessions with
Dorsey Burnette and
Glen Campbell.
His first songwriting success was
Joe Cocker's 1969 version of "
Delta Lady". Russell then went on to organise Cocker's
Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour.
[3] "
Superstar", co-written by Russell and
Bonnie Bramlett, and sung by
Rita Coolidge on that tour, would also be a success for
The Carpenters,
Luther Vandross,
Sonic Youth, and several other performers. Russell released an eponymous solo album soon after the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour,
Leon Russell, which included the original version of the popular "
A Song for You", which has become one of the most widely covered songs of all time, with versions released by artists as varied as
Whitney Houston, Donny Hathaway, and
Christina Aguilera. Also during 1970, Russell played piano for
Dave Mason's album,
Alone Together
