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Heard this Fantastic Country Singer - Hank Wilson!!! (aka Leon Russell - ya may have heard of him)

KleinTxHusker

KleinTxHusker

All Big 10
15 Year Member
Never heard of the guy before. Apparently he was born in Lawton, OK. Went to HS in Tulsa with Anita Bryant, David Gates and Elvin Bishop.

Did his first album around 1973... Don't understand why I never heard of him.

Looking at this dude, he would have made a great Outlaw.

220px-Leon_Russell_1970s.jpg
 
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KleinTxHusker said:
Never heard of the guy before. Apparently he was born in Lawton, OK. Went to HS in Tulsa with Anita Bryant, David Gates and Elvin Bishop.

Did his first album around 1973... Don't understand why I never heard of him.

Looking at this dude, he would have made a great Outlaw.

220px-Leon_Russell_1970s.jpg
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Looks like Kid Rock.... It's actually Leon Russell. [/QUOTE]


Written by Lester Flatt and recorded by Hank Wilson aka Leon Russell. Released as a single in 1973 from the album "Hank Wilson's Back", it reached #57 country.
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HUSKER HOT SAUCE said:
Looks like Kid Rock.... It's actually Leon Russell.
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Can't be Leon Russell... I never understood why he was on every TV show in the early 1970's... Most overrated ever... at least this side of Paul Williams... a short guy from... Omaha... He must have inspired Randy Neumann...

But that Hank album from 1973 was a darn good one... he even expanded on it over the years... a lot of great Hank Williams covers... A lot of great covers from everyone from George Jones to Leadbelly to Jimmy Driftwood...
 
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KleinTxHusker said:


Can't be Leon Russell... I never understood why he was on every TV show in the early 1970's... Most overrated ever... at least this side of Paul Williams... a short guy from... Omaha...

But that Hank album from 1973 was a darn good one... he even expanded on it over the years... a lot of great Hank Williams covers... A lot of great covers from everyone from George Jones to Leadbelly to Jimmy Driftwood...
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You may not think it, but it's definitely Leon.
 



HUSKER HOT SAUCE said:
You may not think it, but it's definitely Leon.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know... just wanted to have some fun... I seriously never heard this side of Leon Russell's career...

It popped up on Apple Music recommendations (and they were getting pretty stale) so I thought what the heck... I was floored... Of course it was a little too country for KFMQ in 1973-1975.

After I got done with it... his 2010 album with Elton John came up... Now I haven't been able to tolerate anything Elton has done since Good Bye Yellow Brick Road... and I don't even like to listen to that anymore...

It absolutely amazed me... and John didn't embarrass himself by singing songs he can't do any more. He sounded real good. And the piano play was pretty awesome...

Apparently back in the beginning of time, John opened for Russell...




 
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KleinTxHusker said:
Yeah, I know... just wanted to have some fun... I seriously never heard this side of Leon Russell's career...

It popped up on Apple Music recommendations (and they were getting pretty stale) so I thought what the heck... I was floored... Of course it was a little too country for KFMQ in 1973-1975.

After I got done with it... his 2010 album with Elton John came up... Now I haven't been able to tolerate anything Elton has done since Good Bye Yellow Brick Road... and I don't even like to listen to that anymore...

It absolutely amazed me... and John didn't embarrass himself by singing songs he can't do any more. He sounded real good. And the piano play was pretty awesome...

Apparently back in the beginning of time, John opened for Russell...




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I like Leon's music, not necessarily all of it, but he had some good stuff. He was very busy in the industry, worked with a who's who of heavy weights, including Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones. Never got to see him live, he passed about 2 or 3 months before I was going to see him, so he was pretty old by then. I did get to see Elton John, and man, he put on a GREAT show, his band was as good as any band I've seen, very professional, with lots of feeling up on stage.
 
HUSKER HOT SAUCE said:
I like Leon's music, not necessarily all of it, but he had some good stuff. He was very busy in the industry, worked with a who's who of heavy weights, including Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones. Never got to see him live, he passed about 2 or 3 months before I was going to see him, so he was pretty old by then. I did get to see Elton John, and man, he put on a GREAT show, his band was as good as any band I've seen, very professional, with lots of feeling up on stage.
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Maybe I should consider it... Just not sure I can handle Benny and the Jets... After going to see Springsteen & James Taylor, if you are good and can pull the money in, you can get good musicians and singers to help cover up the songs you can't really do any more...

Interesting... never knew Leon Russell was a co-writer of "Superstar"...

 
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KleinTxHusker said:
Yeah, I know... just wanted to have some fun... I seriously never heard this side of Leon Russell's career...

It popped up on Apple Music recommendations (and they were getting pretty stale) so I thought what the heck... I was floored... Of course it was a little too country for KFMQ in 1973-1975.

After I got done with it... his 2010 album with Elton John came up... Now I haven't been able to tolerate anything Elton has done since Good Bye Yellow Brick Road... and I don't even like to listen to that anymore...

It absolutely amazed me... and John didn't embarrass himself by singing songs he can't do any more. He sounded real good. And the piano play was pretty awesome...

Apparently back in the beginning of time, John opened for Russell...




Click to expand...

That is an ok album. Those two songs and maybe 2 more. The rest of the album, eehh.
I thought it was pretty stand-up what Elton did to get Leon back up on his feet. Apparently he reached out to Leon to collaborate on a song or two as a kind of get back to your roots, and found out Leon was living in a shack and his tour bus was a hunk of junk. Decided to make the album as a way to thank him for Leon's help when he was young.

I hadn't heard that Leon had passed though.
 




KleinTxHusker said:


Can't be Leon Russell... I never understood why he was on every TV show in the early 1970's... Most overrated ever... at least this side of Paul Williams... a short guy from... Omaha... He must have inspired Randy Neumann...

But that Hank album from 1973 was a darn good one... he even expanded on it over the years... a lot of great Hank Williams covers... A lot of great covers from everyone from George Jones to Leadbelly to Jimmy Driftwood...
Click to expand...

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...sells-long-history-with-country-music-116434/

In 1973, Russell would even adopt a country pseudonym: the name “Hank Wilson,” under which he released Hank Wilson’s Back!, a superb collection of honky-tonk, bluegrass and country standards that included Lester Flatt’s “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms,”
 



Lady Blue was my favorite by Leon.



:Whistling:
Well you're showing me a diff'rent side
Even asked if the flame has died
You're getting used to me baby
But you just a-wait and see lady
'Cause I've been in love before
And I love you a whole lot more
So if you want it to be real good to you
When I'm layin' here makin' love to you
Listen real close to me baby
I want to get it straight right now oh baby
'Cause I love you more and more and more
Lady blue
 
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