Leon Russell

In 1956, a night club in Oklahoma was a good outlet for a 14 year-old piano player of considerable talent, and it was in one certain Oklahoma club that Jerry Lee Lewis discovered a young Leon Russell. Backing Jerry Lee Lewis was just the beginning for Russell, as he would later become one of his generation's most talented songwriters and produce and play sessions with the likes of Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, the Byrds and Ike and Tina Tuner. His songs turned into hits performed by famed musicians and became the Carpenters "Superstar," Ray Charles' "A Song for You" and Joe Cocker's famous rendition of "Delta Lady." Russell's signature long hair and beard have changed over time from dirty blond to snow white, but his legendary gravelly voice and songwriting expertise remain a constant in his life.