Leon Russell

Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter, who recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career. He was famed for his gospel-infused southern boogie piano rock, blues, and country music. Russell played anonymously as a studio pianist in the 1960s before his breakthrough in the 1970s. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. Elton John had called him his "biggest influence as a piano player, a singer and a songwriter". Russell's had a relatively brief period of stardom in the 70s which was later revived in 2010 with the help of Elton John when the two collaborated on an album called The Union.

Links To Peel
Peel enjoyed some of Leon Russell's music in the early 70's and spoke about a piece which Russell wrote with Eric Clapton on the track 'Blue Power'. On the 16 August 1976 show Peel described the track as the best from that period:

"'Obviously, doing a programme on Cream, there are dozens of records which we'd like to play which we can't but we thought we'd play something from Eric's period when he was trying to lose himself in a travelling circus of American groovers, and this is just about the best from that period, a song he co-wrote with Leon Russell.'"

Shows Played
1970 1972
 * 25 April 1970: Roll Away The Stone (LP – Leon Russell) A&M
 * 01 September 1972: Roller Derby (LP - Carney) A&M

1974
 * 12 September 1972: Tight Rope (LP - Carney) A&M
 * 05 February 1974: Rollin' My Sweet Baby's Arms, Parts 1 & 2 (LP - Hank Wilson's Back Vol. I) Shelter