# 17 Leon Russell The Final Chapter

His musical career had nearly slipped into obscurity until a kindness and generosity, Leon had shown to a fellow musician some 40 years previously, is repaid.

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Speaker 1 0:03

Welcome to Oklahoma music legends. I'm your host Tommy Hinshaw. This is the final episode of our four part series on Oklahoma Zone, Leon Russell, the mayor of Tulsa music and the master of space and time. Leon Russell, the final episodes standby for the story.

Speaker 2 0:29

When we closed out the seventies, our hero was on top of the world, but just about to crest the eighties, open with the Tulsa shelter recording studio, the church in turmoil between Leon and business partner Danny Cordell. Leon left shelter records in 1976 and started his own label paradise records. Frankly, it seemed at least to this fan, the Tulsa police at the time had a bullseye on him. Leon purchased old pappy reeves, Grand Lake fishing camp that was located high on the cliff that overlooks grand lake. Older tall will remember the reeves boys commercials with always ended by saying, don't forget about poor old pappy. If you didn't buy, it relieves you. Paid too much. [inaudible] TV and appliance store closed down many years ago, located at 15th and Harvard in Tulsa. The building's different. Remains vacant. Leon built a large home, a large pool with art painted on the bottom of the pool, state of the art recording studio on the lake property. He had pretty much moved his entire operation to the lake house. Willis Alan Ramsey who was signed to shelter records told the crowd at woody fest 2018. The pool had problems and it slipped down the hill. He also said the recording giants made their way to the lake house to play and record. Leon left the property and frankly Oklahoma residents a couple of years later in 1981, he joined the new grass revival to record a live album entitled Leon Russell and new grass revival, the live album. This concert can be found on youtube. Afterward, he recorded a second country album utilizing his alter ego Hanke Wilson following Hanke Wilson. He recorded a country blues album, which was recorded in his paradise studio located in Henderson, Tennessee from the mid eighties into the nineties. Leon must have been searching or simply experimenting for different sound, something that was uniquely different musically. Anything that would help to slow down his slipping from musical prominence. He started and an independent label Leon Russell records in 1995. He recorded live albums from Japan, another with Willie Nelson, a Christmas album to more hanke Wilson projects, making a total of four for Hanke Wilson. He released a greatest hits album. It's safe to say the passage of time was not kind to him, although he continued to record albums. Success in the music industry is measured in album sales, hit singles, and chart positions. His album releases seemed to come at almost a frenzied pace. He continued to tour, but it seemed his career was winding down from 1984 until 2010, a total of 26 years. None of his recordings charted or received any traction in all. Leon recorded 40 albums of which nine were compilation projects utilizing former recordings as impossible as it may sound. Moving into the year 2010, Leon found himself Lankenau machine in near musical obscurity until the telephone rang. It was a call from Elton John. The following is an excerpt taken from an interview Elton John did right before Leon's induction into the rock and roll hall of fame. Elton John said in this interview, he and his partner, David were on a trip to Africa while he was shaving. David was playing Leon Russell's greatest hits on his ipod. Elton said, listening to the songs brought him to tears. They would ask him what's wrong. Elton said, when he first came to America, Leon was great to him that Leon was his idol and the man I most wanted to play like seem like and look like you said, I was playing at the troubadour club in southern California. On the second night I looked down and there sat leon in the second row after this show. Leon was so nice to me and encouraging. He asked me to come on the road with him and we did six or seven shows. He introduced me to Bob Dylan. He just couldn't have been more gracious or nicer, especially since we were doing basically the same thing. Then we lost touch with each other around 1972. I got any contact with Leanna and ask him how you doing, to which Leon replied, making ends meet and doing some show. We talked for awhile and made plans to meet for dinner. When I returned to America, I hung up the phone and I turned to Dave and I said, this is not why I called him. I got ahold of t bone Burnett, who's a famous record producer that I didn't know and I asked him if he would do an album with me and Leon, and he said, yes. I called Leon back and told him of this idea to which Leon responded, do you think I can do it? After Elton's assurances, Leon gave into fate and replied, let's do it. In November of 2009, John Russell and Bernie topping began work on the union album, a double album credited equally to Russell. It was recorded in February of 2010. The CD was released on October ninth, 2010. The Union would be russell sixth gold album. The album would be listed in rolling stone's top five albums of 2010. The Union chartered at number three. This would be Leon's last gold album and his last project to chart through Elton's insistence or at least being the driving force. Leon Russell was inducted, the rock and roll hall of fame and into the songwriters hall of fame, I doubt either would have come to pass without Elton's repaying of the generosity and kindness Leon had shown to him some 40 years earlier. Leon said of the Union project. Elton came and found me on the side of the highway of life and took me up to the high stages and treated me like a king. Elton said, I'm probably on for coming back and proving to us all what a wonderful and incredible artist he is. Leon began to read again both with Elton to promote both the album which they had created and the documentary film of the production process of the album, the union. He also began turning again as a solo performer doing the Willy Nelson Fourth of July picnic in 2013. Various projects developed a keep Leon productive. He was playing too enthusiastic crowds in 2016 and was planning an extensive tour into 2017. For me, doing the Leon Russell story has been a project of love and admiration as a kid in Tulsa pumping gas. At the Phoenix station at 15th and Harvard in Tulsa, I had seen Leon driving down Harvard in his white Rolls Royce. I was at the Willie Nelson concert in Tulsa at the civic center. When during Willie set, Leon entered, the state's walked across it and sat on a speaker box watching the show really grasped the microphone and remarked who was that masked man? We in the audience last our collective minds. The show was on a weekday, continued past midnight with both of them at the microphones. Later I saw him in concert with Mary and her mother's. He was a fantastic showman. Leon died in his sleep, have an apparent heart attack. November 13th, 2016 at his home in Mount Juliet, Tennessee services were held both at his home church in Tennessee and at the maybe center on oral Roberts University. Campus monies were being raised for a monument and possible internment at Memorial Park Cemetery located at 51st and memorial in Tulsa. A spot was chosen. That was just down from the Bob wills plot. When funding for a large black piano shape monument stalled. Elton John stepped in, wrote the check that finished off the monuments fundraising effort. The plan is to have the monument in place by the second year anniversary of Leon's passing November 13th, 2018. The artist rendering of the monument can be seen on our websites gallery page coincide me with the date of November 13th. It's hoped that the Leon Russell biography, written by Leon historian, Steve, told her off will be released. This concludes our four part series on the mayor of salsa music and the master of space and time. You've been listening to Oklahoma legends.

Speaker 1 8:56

Spread the word we can be found on itunes, buzzsprout, stitcher, Google play, and on spotify. Find them on our website, Oklahoma music legends.com. Click on the podcast link where you can find all of our podcasts. While you're there. Check out our picture gallery. Join our Oklahoma music legends facebook page for Oklahoma music legends. I'm Tommy had show. Thanks for listening.