Homewood

THE CLASSIC 1970 TV SPECIAL THAT MADE A STAR OF LEON RUSSELL Born in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1942, Leon Russell began playing piano at the age of four. He attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma and by age 16 was already performing at Tulsa nightclubs. After moving to Los Angeles, he became a session musician, working as a pianist on the recordings of many notable musical artists from the 1960s. By the late 1960s, Russell diversified, becoming successful as an arranger and songwriter. As a musician, he worked his way up from gigs as a sideman to working with well-known performers. By 1970, he had graduated to a solo recording artist, although he never ended his previous roles within the music industry. After performing country music under the name Hank Wilson in the 1970s and 1980s, Russell had largely faded into obscurity.