# RIP: Leon Russell **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814 "2016-11-13T14:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/21 "2016-11-13T21:41:20Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Was that a long run for a guy with CP? That was the reason for the cane, right? [Quote=Leon] When I was born I had a birth injury in my second and third vertebrae. It gave me what they called spastic paralysis, which is actually cerebral palsy. I had two parts of my body, my left side which was strong and somewhat dumb, and the other side was weak and hard to control but perhaps smarter. It gave me a very strong sense of the duality of the plane that we live in. When I was playing, I had to think about it three or four seconds ahead. I had to figure out what I was going to play and decide if I could play it or not. Then I’d play it. It was kind of like playing the pipe organ, where it doesn’t make the sound three or four seconds later. It was very much a pain in the ass actually. I think that stuff had something to do with [forming my style]. [/quote] Explains the heavy right foot. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/22 "2016-11-13T22:43:50Z")
[Moderating] Fixed a typo in the title. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/23 "2016-11-13T23:37:53Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > [A Song For You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37dw2r45Xzg) My absolute favorite version of this song was done by [Ruby Wilson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4PyvkZbep4), the Queen of Beale Street. I had no idea that she died earlier this fucking year. What a loss. My other absolute favorite version (hey, sue me) is by [Aretha Franklin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCgmpax04XQ), who is thankfully still with us. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/24 "2016-11-13T23:40:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Moderating] > Fixed a typo in the title. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/25 "2016-11-14T00:34:37Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > When I realized Leon was coming to a 400-seat venue in Ann Arbor soon, I immediately made plans with family members to attend the show. They were not familiar with him so I spoke for several minutes about Leon’s history and his talent. They were interested and eager to go. > > This happened about 15 hours ago. > > RIP Leon > mmm MAN! What a kick-ass show that would have been! Any time you get the chance to see a musician of anything approximating his talent in a small venue, don’t pass it by. Even if you’re not wild about him or her, you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised. Intimate venues + wildly talented, highly-experienced musicians = awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/26 "2016-11-14T03:18:16Z")
We’ve lost a great artist this year in Merle Haggard and some decent journeymen in David Bowie and Prince Nelson. The “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” tour with Joe Cocker must have been about the most raucous tour with a large group ever. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/27 "2016-11-14T14:22:04Z")
Shit! Every time a musician my late brother took me to see dies, another little part of me dies too. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/28 "2016-11-14T17:41:42Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > [A couple of numbers from Leon…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICr9lfWq3yY) An incredible performance. I spent far too much time with that side of the Bangladesh album repeating on the turntable. Rock and Roll Heaven’s gain is our loss. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/29 "2016-11-14T20:20:10Z")
The best tribute I can offer to Leon… [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nLM6_rUp6NU/hqdefault.jpg "Best car scene ever Tommy Boy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLM6_rUp6NU) There are lots of us who love songs we pretend are lame! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/30 "2016-11-14T20:53:25Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Was that a long run for a guy with CP? That was the reason for the cane, right? I believe that in addition to the injury he suffered at birth, Russell’s legs were badly damaged in a motorcycle accident in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/31 "2016-11-14T21:23:36Z")
For various reasons involving an 8-track compilation tape and a road trip back when I was a young **FtG** , the first thing that comes to mind is his version with Joe Cocker (MD&E) of [Cry Me a River](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjp_iG9vzEU). If you don’t see what they did with this song, maybe you should refresh your memory of the [Julie London](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwheXIa8Cl0) version. Russell could make anything rock. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/32 "2016-11-15T00:33:47Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > [A Song For You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37dw2r45Xzg) This is in my top 5 favorite songs, ever, and IMO none of the covers really do it justice. I understand why people like them-- some of them are undeniably beautiful – but for me, the original cuts to the bone. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814/33 "2016-11-15T01:18:07Z")
Aw, man. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-leon-russell/771814.md?page=1)