RIP Leon Russell!

[ROGER4314]

Leon Russell passed away at age 74. For those who don't remember him, he was an entertainer who had long, white hair, a long beard to match and tremendous talent! Russell collaborated on music recorded by Joe Cocker, the Beach Boys, individual Beatles members, Elton John and a host of others. He organized Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour. Russell's influence went deep into the music industry!





In his honor, I just gotta tell a Leon Russell story............I lived in Tulsa and ran with a fringe group of society. Leon Russell was only four years older than me and he ran with the same group of friends. I didn't know Leon but knew his friends very well.

One day, the guys got together and related this story. Leon showed up at a party looking down and depressed. He married a beautiful black singer named Mary McCreary and the marriage lasted 5 years. For her wedding present, Leon gave Mary a new Lincoln Continental. She was thrilled with the car, got in it and he didn't see her again for a friggin' month! Such was life in the 1970's!

Rest In Peace, Leon Russell!

Flash

 

[Davetex]

Rest in peace Leon,

 

[shortround]

In 1971, Leon was seen as a "Freak."

He did not fit into our world view (whatever it was).

RIP

 

[ed308]

Leon Russell passed away at age 74. For those who don't remember him, he was an entertainer who had long, white hair, a long beard to match and tremendous talent! Russell collaborated on music recorded by Joe Cocker, the Beach Boys, individual Beatles members, Elton John and a host of others. He organized Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour. Russell's influence went deep into the music industry!





In his honor, I just gotta tell a Leon Russell story............I lived in Tulsa and ran with a fringe group of society. Leon Russell was only four years older than me and he ran with the same group of friends. I didn't know Leon but knew his friends very well.

One day, the guys got together and related this story. Leon showed up at a party looking down and depressed. He married a beautiful black singer named Mary McCreary and the marriage lasted 5 years. For her wedding present, Leon gave Mary a new Lincoln Continental. She was thrilled with the car, got in it and he didn't see her again for a friggin' month! Such was life in the 1970's!

Rest In Peace, Leon Russell!

Flash

Good story. Lot of hard partying back in those days. RIP Leon.

 

[Byrd666]

R.I.P. Sir. Thank you for the memories

 

[ROGER4314]

Crap! Another duplicate post!

Flash

 

[ROGER4314]

This really got the old memories stirred up. Leon Russell was heavily integrated into the wild and crazy Tulsa fringe of society. The word "Freaky" described it perfectly! The whole music scene centered around Billy Holliday voiced singers who slurred their words and sang with dreamy, half conscious pronunciation. Of course, they sang like Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker and Leon Russell because they were blitzed out of their skulls!

When Joe Cocker sang, he had a gravel voice and he danced around with spastic styled mannerisms. In Tulsa, a group called "Moondog" performed in the tough ass gin mills of the city. The lead singer of Moondog duplicated Joe Cocker's voice and mannerisms perfectly! The music was outstanding because everyone in the place was blitzed, too! Here's some Joe Cocker, who passed in 2014. Cocker and Russell performed together often.





It was a wild period of time when the birth control pill changed our society and dope was an everyday thing. Now it's gone with Leon Russell and all the rest. I think somewhere there is a large group of stoners who are partying hard, screwing their brains out and jammin' in tough ass gin mills. That is stoner heaven!

Here, on Earth, only great memories and a few old fart survivors remain.

RIP Leon Russell, Joplin, Cocker, Hendrix, and a host of others!

Flash