Leon Russell - The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock'n'Roll History - Bill Janovitz

 

Of course, I've ranted'n'raved about Leon numerous times here, as he was by far my fave keyboardist of the 70's (some stiff competition, to be sure, but he had some charisma that others didn't), and I've always dug his style'n'his sound. With a healthy dose of R'n'B, more than a bit of gospel and plenty of old fashioned rock'n'roll, Leon started as a session player, moved on to backing stars like Joe Cocker and George Harrison (among others too numerous to list) before becoming a star in his own right. His version of "Youngblood" in the Concert For Bangledesh movie blew me away, as did his own incredible songwriting.

I've read bits on Leon already, but always looking to see what people have to say about him. I must have known, but had forgotten, that he had cerebral palsy as a child, which explains his later difficulty in walking, as when we saw him 20 or so years ago. But, even though his right side had issues, he was practically a child prodigy on piano and managed to create his own style to make up for his physical handicaps. While his family life was rocky (his parents split up when he was young, his abusive older brother moved out at a fairly early age), he delved into music and, growing up in Tulsa, he was exposed to everything from country to the early greats of R'n'B to the burgeoning R'n'R scene, and more! He played in bands as a teenager and would often stay out all night watching'n'learning from the other musicians.

He moved to LA while he was still underage but with the help of a fake ID he was able to do some club work but his bread'n'butter was studio session work. Starting on demos, he moved onto actual recording sessions pretty quickly, playing alongside some of the biggest names in the business (as far as session players go, that is), many of whom went on to stardom themselves, just like Leon.

He moves relatively quickly from working with Gary Lewis and the Playboys to Joe Cocker to his own solo career, which takes off amazingly fast. His tour with Cocker and Mad Dogs and Englishmen and his stellar performance in Concert For Bangladesh only accelerates his rise and soon he, himself, is a “Superstar”. The stories accompanying this are all fascinating, of course, although some of the business bogs the story down a bit. But, I have to admit, the nostalgia of reading all of the incredible music that came out at the same time as Leon’s first couple of records makes me miss my youth more than I can explain.

His frantic pace of work, almost continuous touring and recording, spending copious amounts of money on any and everything that caught his eye, from houses to equipment or all kinds to studios to cars to backing musicians, his partying and the craziness around him as he let almost anyone stay in his houses with (or without) him, and his womanizing lends for incredible tales but, naturally, eventually wore him out.

Janovitz gives a detailed chronology of Leon's history and he also gives a pretty detailed critique of practically each song on each album - with special reverence for the early work. Innumerable stars enter Leon's orbit, including various Beatles and Stones, Clapton and innumerable others. Oddly, actor Gary Busey becomes involved with Leon - he’s also from Tulsa and was a local celeb before becoming a star - and plays drums with him for a bit and even brings Barbara Streisand over when they worked together on A Star is Born. Ton Petty and Dwight Twilley make surprising appearances as well, among others too numerous to name.

Leon had lots of interracial lovers (including his first wife) and band members which caused plenty of racism in the 70’s, even from his fans, who, one would think, would be above that due to the fact that he almost always had mixed bands. But, these things were still pretty new in the 70's for popular culture and many could not accept them.

Naturally, Leon's career doesn't stay on top forever and, combined with his insane spending habits, this causes some financial insecurities, although he continues to do alright for himself even while no longer being top of the heap. A move to Nashville, a new wife and new band and paring down his shows to more appropriate, smaller venues all combined to help his health, well being and career (on a much smaller scale than before).

Ironically, the man who had pioneered video for years could not adjust or adapt to MTV, unlike some of his peers, and he was stubborn enough in his ways that, while he could always earn a living, his success pales compared to others from his time. 

As always, the post-superstardom times in the rock star's stories are not as exciting, but it is interesting to hear what Leon did throughout this time, how he managed - and mismanaged - his life, his career, his health and threw away many of the lifelines he was given. 

Janovitz keeps it interesting, with lots of info on the recordings, Leon's family and love lives, touring, famous friends (Elton John, of course, gives him a big boost) and lots more. This is long - maybe a bit longer than it needs to be - but still a great read.