Leon Russell Dead at 74

Southern rock luminary Leon Russell has died in Nashville at the age of 74. He passed away in his sleep, according to a statement Russell’s wife shared on his website. Russell was in the process of recovering from “heart bypass surgery in July” one of his representatives told NPR. 

Born Claude Russell Bridges in 1942, the Oklahoma native worked as a songwriter, bandleader, and studio musician. His long career saw him collaborating with the likes of Elton John, Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, and more. He first garnered success as a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of studio musicians who were integral in the work of Phil Spector, the Beach Boys, and the Monkees.

In the 1970s, he was the bandleader for Joe Cocker’s 1970 Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, appeared in George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, and helped release albums from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Freddie King, and Russell Cale via his Shelter Records imprint. 

His songs were recorded and performed by a vast array of musicians that included Ray Charles, Andy Williams, the Carpenters, the Temptations, Herbie Hancock, Whitney Houston, George Benson, and more.  

Russell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011. His last album was 2014’s Life Journey.

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