The definitive biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell. A mythical figure in American music, Russell’s life has never been fully chronicled until now. His influence (while often behind the scenes) can be found behind the work of Elton John, The Beatles, the Stones, and countless other artists. Leon Russell is an icon, but in many ways he is also an underappreciated artist. A Zelig figure for a number of decades, he is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of American music, yet he worked integrally with English rock royalty like Beatles and the Stones. He played piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Russell inspired Elton John’s career, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. That same year, Russell released his lauded comeback album, which was a collaboration with Elton titled The Union. Russell also gets credit for altering Willie Nelson’s career, giving us the long-haired, pot-friendly Willie we all know and love today. In his prime, Russell filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer/performer of both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh.

Russell founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, establishing offices and studios in Los Angeles and eventually Tulsa, fostering wild and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together. The phenomenal litany of collaborators and beneficiaries of the creative worlds he created over the years includes George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Delaney and Bonnie, Rita Coolidge, Dave Mason, Bob Dylan, Freddie King, J.J. Cale, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Dwight Twilley Band, Gary Busey, Phoebe Snow, Bonnie Raitt, and the Gap Band. Russell was an early proponent of cultural diversity, always assembling wildly diverse bands and performances and laughing in the face of musical and social barriers. On the personal side, Leon struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul. Acclaimed author and founding member of Buffalo Tom, Bill Janovitz shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.