Sept. 11, 2005
Born in 1941 in Lawton, Oklahoma, Leon Russell would begin playing piano at age 3, gigging at age 14 (on trumpet in a Tulsa night club) and spend the nearly half the next century entertaining music fans around the world. Along the way he would sideman for or be backed up by the luminaries of the music industry from a wide spectrum of genres including the blues.
From his early years with Ronnie Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis to the 1960's (with Phil Spector, Joe Cocker, Frank Sinatra, Bonnie and Delaney), 1970's (Stevie Winwood, George Harrison, Eric Clapton), 1980's (Bruce Hornsby, Edgar Winter, New Grass Revival) and up to the present time, Leon Russell has kept to a grueling tour schedule. This is especially impressive when you begin to consider his numerous studio musician, producing, songwriting and arranging credits he as acquired along the way. Leon Russell's nickname, The Master of Space and Time, and his pure artistic drive are the only explanation for a career that could account for half a dozen musicians output.
It is as a songwriter that Leon Russell has reached his most diverse audience. His tunes like Masquerade, A Song For You, Superstar, Delta Lady and Hummingbird have been covered and recovered by numerous artists in styles ranging from pop, jazz, country and rock to blues.
Fans of Leon Russell, known as LeonLifers, rival the better known Dead Heads in their devotion to this legendary musician. The LeonLifers Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Leon Russell) averages over 1600 message posts each month, and that's a conservative estimate. This is also just one Leon Russell fan group, there are others.
It's been just short of one year ago that Leon Russell last performed in Bellingham, WA (that show was at the Wild Buffalo Sept. 15, 2004), and that's just too long for his fans!! The local Northwest Washington Blues Group has coordinated their first non-cyber gathering to land on the day before Russells performance when a few out of town members will already be in Bellingham for the show.
Nightlight Lounge
Sun, Sept. 11, 2005
8pm
tickets $25 Advance
buy your ticket online at
www.nightlightlounge.com
or
at The Nightlight Lounge
211 E.Chestnut Street, Bellingham, WA
360-527-1531
