Bill Janovitz

A massively complete biography of an important musician and master keyboardist and concert master. This book tells all of Leon from humble beginnings to eventual rock stardom, to slow and continuous decline.

Leon was certainly unique in his appearance as well as he gifted musical genius. His arrangements are legendary, his voice likewise. The book covers primarily his connections and performances that lasted from the 70's right up to his last days. The venues however were not always so grand, but he had his day too.

For many looking into detail of how the songs and arrangements, and performances are constructed here you will have an enormous amount to chew on. For me it got too bogged down in the details and made for boring reading.

His personal side however I found intriguing a man of many sides and complexities in himself and certainly his relationships over his relatively short but active lifespan. Much of solid rock history also on display and many acts and faces that will bring back a lot of memories from particularly the seventies.… (meer)

No matter which Russell period you prefer - Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Carney, Will O' The Wisp, The Wedding Album, and the Willie Nelson or Elton John collaborations - you will fall in love again with Leon the essential pianist, bandleader, and songwriter, and be puzzled by the self-destructive introvert. Born with cerebral palsy, Leon had to work though weakness in his right hand, and, as in the case with Joni Mitchell as well, was able to compensate in creative ways that could not be duplicated by anyone else. His start as a member of the renowned LA Wrecking Crew studio musicians, and the incredible range of artists he backed (Frank Sinatra! Jerry Lee Lewis!) are covered in depth. Although many fans associate his with Joe Cocker, it's surprising to learn that they basically despised each other, Joe wanting to front a smaller band of his own, and Leon wanting to create a musical family to enfold everyone he admired and loved. Having had three wives and six children, there is plenty of romantic drama covered here, especially with Rita Coolidge, who was a valuable source, Mary McCreary, former backup singer and duet partner on The Wedding Album, who did not contribute; and Jan Bridges, who supported Leon until his death in 2016. His musical friendships with Willie Nelson and Elton John, who both acted as Leon's rescuers when he was floundering, are covered with great fondness and appreciation. Behind the extensive sixty seven year career was a personality filled with contradictions, a difficult man to work with but an easy friend to love. The biography is a fan's dream.

Quotes: "No one else could play him. No one else heard the same notes, chords, the same thing her did. He played his own music, and nobody could touch it, and we didn't try. We just knew it was Leon, and that's as good as it gets." - Willie Nelson

"Music was his work and silence was his hobby."… (meer)

Leon Russell, by Bill Janovitz, is the type of biography I love: informative, well-written, and one long trip down memory lane. Admittedly the nostalgia part only pertains to people from the last sixty years or so, but this book is right in that area.

I knew a little about Russell's career before 1970 or so but not much. What an amazing life and career even before hitting the pop and country charts. I think Tight Rope was probably when I first really paid attention to his music. From Phil Spector, the Wrecking Crew, through Willie Nelson and so many behind the scenes roles, this is almost a who's who of music, multi-genre, of the period.

Learning about his personal trials and tribulations gives a lot more depth to some of his lyrics and certainly illustrates just how much we don't know about our stars, even in the age of social media. It may be harder for them to keep their personal lives out of the public eye, but they all have things that would surprise us.

I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in music history, particularly during the "rock era." Fans of Russell's will learn a lot and take a wonderful stroll down memory lane, while those only partly familiar with him will get some great suggestions for songs and musicians to listen to.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)