# Musician Leon Redbone dead at 69 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [May 30, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785 "2019-05-30T16:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/1 "2019-05-30T16:52:24Z")
[Story here](https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-leon-redbone-dead-20190530-v2bmoz4f3ba3fcjciintyscihy-story.html). Not only a fine musician, but he managed to create a persona and keep his past a sevret for decades. Very little is known about his pre-Redborn days. And he was _good_ ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/2 "2019-05-30T16:53:46Z")
awwww…boop bop diddy, that sucks ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/3 "2019-05-30T16:56:23Z")
That sucks. I have a couple of his albums, and saw him live once. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/4 "2019-05-30T16:56:44Z")
He was quirky, and completely unlike any other act of that era. Note that the public annoucement of his death lists his age as 127. 🙂 [Link to a SDMB thread from 2015](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=771467), when Redbone retired from performing, due to health issues. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/5 "2019-05-30T17:11:29Z")
I actually thought he was closer to 127 than 69 years of age. I first saw him on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, and I thought he was in his 60s then. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/6 "2019-05-30T17:18:16Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > I actually thought he was closer to 127 than 69 years of age. I first saw him on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, and I thought he was in his 60s then. Ditto. I’ve seen him age, but I figured he must be at least 80 by now. Interesting, unique style. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/7 "2019-05-30T17:23:33Z")
I loved his music and he was one of the few artists that my wife and I both liked. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/8 "2019-05-30T17:41:34Z")
I saw him live once in Boulder Colorado in the late 1970s. He flicked lit matches into the audience.:eek: I have several of his albums. I also thought he was much older than 69. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/9 "2019-05-30T17:50:22Z")
That is definitely sad ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/10 "2019-05-30T17:57:22Z")
I’ve always loved his album _Red to Blue_. It’s impossible to listen to that and remain blue. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/11 "2019-05-30T18:22:30Z")
Saw him and met him. Very nice man and an amazing, unique artist. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/12 "2019-05-30T18:33:50Z")
Here is the short film discussed in the other thread posted to Vimeo by the film company. [https://vimeo.com/44523945](https://vimeo.com/44523945) I’d love to see the long version if it ever gets done. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/13 "2019-05-30T19:11:02Z")
Two notes of trivia Leon Redborn did the theme song to TV’s [Mr. Belvedere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-GML1pWkww) First Bill Buckner and now Leon Redbone died at age 69. Is 69 the new 27? ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/14 "2019-05-30T19:23:23Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I saw him live once in Boulder Colorado in the late 1970s. He flicked lit matches into the audience.:eek: I have several of his albums. I also thought he was much older than 69. I saw him when he opened for Tom Waits in the 70s. Took a Polaroid photo of the audience then used a flashlight to compare faces to the image. He was great and I can’t think of a better matched pair of artists ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/15 "2019-05-30T19:34:35Z")
Big sad. I just listened to _On The Track_ yesterday while doing yard work. Amazing that he was only 69; he seemed to exist outside of time somehow. RIP Mr. Redbone; you done fucking amazing & you will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/16 "2019-05-30T19:58:38Z")
I saw him at a little club about twenty years ago. It was a lovely evening. I’m glad I got the chance. My favorite - [Ain’t Misbehavin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6d1-k2p1Ck) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/17 "2019-05-30T23:06:43Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > I first saw him on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, and I thought he was in his 60s then. That was Frank Zappa. “Leon Redbone” is a fake persona. At least, it sure seemed that way to me. I mean, I’d already seen The Blues Brothers, Belushi channeling Joe Cocker, Candy Slice…why would I believe someone like Leon Redbone was a real person? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/18 "2019-05-30T23:55:48Z")
I think some of us were thrown off by his age because we were a lot younger when he appeared on SNL in the first season. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/19 "2019-05-31T11:32:59Z")
Saw him in concert and met him face to face once. He was such a cool character. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785/20 "2019-05-31T12:15:58Z")
That’s a loss; had some records by him and got the chance to see him play at a one-off gig at the Edinburgh Festival in around 2000/2001 or so. Great stuff, althugh I’ve not listened to him for a while. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-leon-redbone-dead-at-69/834785.md?page=2)