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Rolling Stone magazine

He Was a Rock Legend and a Musician’s Musician: Leon Russell Dies at 74

Nov 13, 2016  •  Post A Comment

Leon Russell, renowned multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who collaborated with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones and Elton John over the course of 50 years in the music industry, died Sunday,” reports Rolling Stone magazine, noting that Russell was 74.

The story continues, “His website said he had died in his sleep but gave no specific cause.

Rolling Stone also writes, “In the early Seventies, on the brink of his own stardom, Russell instead receded into his influential role out of the spotlight. Between the Asylum Choir and his early solo albums, Russell served as songwriter, performer and co-producer on Joe Cocker’s 1969 LP ‘Joe Cocker!’ and orchestrated Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. Following that, Russell joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends and took part in George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in August 1971.

“Russell also produced Bob Dylan’s ‘Watching the River Flow’ and ‘When I Paint My Masterpiece’ and worked with a wide variety of artists ranging from Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to the Beach Boys, Sam Cooke, the Gap Band and Willie Nelson, who became of close friend of Russell’s.

“As a songwriter, Russell also penned ‘Superstar’ (popularized by the Carpenters), his own 1972 hit ‘Tight Rope’ and ‘This Masquerade,’ with singer George Benson winning the 1977 Record of the Year Grammy for his cover.”

To read more about Russell we urge you to click here , which will take you to the original posting of the Rolling Stone story.

Here’s Russell’s induction into the Rock &  Roll Hall of Fame that we found on YouTube:

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