Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, United States, Russell began playing piano at the age of four. He attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Also at Will Rogers High School were Anita Bryant, who was one year older, and in the same 1959 class, David Gates. Russell and Gates played and recorded together as the Fencement. Another student at Will Rogers during this time was Elvin Bishop, although he was a few years younger than the previously mentioned. During this time Russell was already performing at Tulsa nightclubs. After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1950s, he became a session musician, working as a pianist on the recordings of many notable 1960s musical artists. By the late 1960s, Russell diversified, becoming successful as an arranger and songwriter. By 1970, he had graduated to 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. He re-emerged in 2010 when Elton John called on him to record an album that became The Union. The album brought renewed popularity to Russell who has since released a solo album and toured around the world.
Russell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, 2011. In June, 2011, Leon Russell was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Known as a session musician and artist in his own right, Russell has played with artists as varied as Jerry Lee Lewis, Phil Spector and The Rolling Stones. With a solo career spanning the genres of rock, blues, and gospel, Russell began his musical career at 14, lying about his age to land a gig playing backup at a Tulsa nightclub to play with Ronnie Hawkins behind Jerry Lee Lewis. Two years later, after settling in Los Angeles, he studied guitar with James Burton, and worked sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell.
After becoming a part of Phil Spector's studio group, Russell played backup on many of the most popular hits of the 1960s, including The Byrds, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and Herb Alpert. He also served as Snuff Garrett's assistant on numerous productions. Russell built his own recording studio in 1967, and recorded his first LP, Look Inside the Asylum Choir, in a collaboration with Marc Benno.
His first songwriting hit was Joe Cocker's 1970 cover of "Delta Lady", and Russell went on to organise Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Shortly thereafter, Russell released another solo album, Leon Russell, which included the original version of the popular "A Song for You". Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason's album, Alone Together (notably, on the song "Sad and Deep as You").
During the 60's and 70's, Russell had a large mansion home in Tulsa near Woodward Park and was much an attraction for teenagers growing up in Tulsa. He also owned the infamous Church Recording Studio on 3rd street there, a meeting place for Russell and many friends. The Church Studio is now owned by Glen Mitchell and one-time Russell studio engineer Steve Ripley of the country band The Tractors. Russell still records there frequently.
Russell also owned a large home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma. It stills stands near Dripping Springs, remodeled now, but a fond reminder of the days gone by for the now-grown kids in Oklahoma. At one time, it stood to be one of the largest homes on the lake. The home is now owned by Tulsa chiropractor and Leon Russell enthusiast Dr. F.J. Huskey. The home still contains the famous dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has seen many famous names, including members of The Beatles.
In 1971, Russell appeared at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh (performing a memorable medley of the songs "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Young Blood"), after recording sessions with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan, and went on to tour with the Rolling Stones. After focusing increasingly on his solo career, his album Carney reached #2 on the charts, although the two following albums were not received as well.
During the 70's, Russell continued to pop in occasionally and perform in Tulsa at the Paradise Club and other noted music spots around town. He surprised his fans one night performing with Flash Eddy and the Eclectics at the Paradise.
His 1975 album Will O'the Wisp was fairly commercially successful, as was its single "Lady Blue". Gailard Sartain, fondly remembered by Tulsans as Mezeppa Pompazoidi (a Saturday night movie host, joined many times by Gary Busey), did the artwork for Russell's Will 'O the Wisp LP cover.
Later that year, Russell married Mary McCreary, a former member of Sly & the Family Stone's background vocal group Little Sister. The two collaborated on The Wedding Album in 1976, and Russell penned "This Masquerade", which earned a Grammy Award for George Benson. In 1977, Russell and McCreary reunited for another album, and in 1979 Russell worked on a collaboration with Willie Nelson. He spent the next two years touring with the New Grass Revival, and released two more albums with Paradise before the label folded. For several years, he stayed largely out of the music spotlight, releasing Anything Can Happen in 1992, and then releasing two more albums in 1998 and 1999. Russell continues to tour at the age of 71. His bassist, Jack Wessel, has been with Russell close to 25 years. His son with McCreary, Teddy Jack (named after Gary Busey's character on Sartain's show), has also toured with his dad, as well as sisters, Tina Rose and Sugaree.
Pixies vocalist Black Francis credits Russell with influencing his vocal style: "I realize there's a certain kind of vocalizing I do that takes its cue from Leon Russell. He sang in a southern accent but it was very blown-out and exaggerated, very free and loose."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Russell
Prince Of Peace
Leon Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not mistaken words, for I say many
Listen closely to my song and watch my eyes
There's not much time to spill, there's hardly any
Well, as long as there are children living in the streets
And they're lucky, not afraid to touch each other
Not afraid to be themselves with someone else
Or choose their friends with love and not by color
Never treat a brother like a passing stranger
Always try to keep the love light burning
Listen only to his song and watch his eyes
For he might be the prince of peace returning
Yes, he might be the prince of peace returning
Oh, love the blind and wounded as you would yourself
And the businessmen themselves collecting pennies
Judge their wealth by coins that they give away
And not the ones they keep themselves from spending
And never be impatient with the ones who love you
It might be yourself that you're burning
Listen only to their song and watch their eyes
For you might be the prince of peace returning
And we never treat a brother like a passing stranger
Always try to keep the love light burning
Listen only to his song and watch his eyes
For you might be the prince of peace returning
Yes, you might be the prince of peace returning
In Leon Russell's song "Prince of Peace," the lyrics urge listeners to judge a person by their actions over time, rather than any mistakes or words spoken in the moment. The song encourages people to listen closely to others' words and watch their eyes to truly understand them, as time is limited and there is little time to waste. The song goes on to highlight the importance of treating others with love and compassion, regardless of differences in upbringing or wealth. The lines "Never treat a brother like a passing stranger" and "And never be impatient with the ones who love you" urge listeners to approach others with kindness and empathy.
Ultimately, the song concludes with the repeated refrain "For you might be the prince of peace returning," implying that every person has the potential to bring peace and kindness to the world through their actions and interactions with others. The lyrics of "Prince of Peace" can be interpreted as a call for listeners to approach the world with an open heart and seek to understand and empathize with others, creating a more peaceful and loving society.
Line by Line Meaning
Try and judge me only by my time and changes
Don't judge me by my words or actions, but by the progress I make over time
Not mistaken words, for I say many
I speak a lot, so don't judge me based on a single statement that may be misunderstood
Listen closely to my song and watch my eyes
Pay attention to the message I'm trying to convey through my lyrics and the emotions I express
There's not much time to spill, there's hardly any
Life is short, so let's not waste time on insignificant matters
Well, as long as there are children living in the streets
There are still problems in the world that need to be addressed
And they're lucky, not afraid to touch each other
Even in the midst of hardship, there can still be love and connection
Not afraid to be themselves with someone else
People should feel free to express their true selves with those they trust
Or choose their friends with love and not by color
Friendships should be based on mutual love and respect, not on race or ethnicity
Never treat a brother like a passing stranger
Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even if they are unfamiliar to you
Always try to keep the love light burning
Strive to maintain positivity and love in your interactions with others
Listen only to his song and watch his eyes
Pay attention to others' words and emotions to understand how they really feel
For he might be the prince of peace returning
The person you're interacting with could be someone who brings peace and positivity into the world
Oh, love the blind and wounded as you would yourself
Treat others who are hurt or disadvantaged with the same compassion and care you would want for yourself
And the businessmen themselves collecting pennies
Even those with wealth should still show generosity and care for others
Judge their wealth by coins that they give away
Wealth should be measured by one's willingness to give, not just by what they keep for themselves
And not the ones they keep themselves from spending
We should recognize that hoarding wealth and material possessions doesn't bring true fulfillment or happiness
And never be impatient with the ones who love you
Those who love us are precious, and we should cherish them and not take them for granted
It might be yourself that you're burning
By being impatient or unkind to those who care for us, we may actually be hurting ourselves
For you might be the prince of peace returning
We all have the potential to bring positivity and love into the world, so let's strive to do so
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Greg Dempsey, Leon Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Hayes
on Roll Away The Stone
I think the meaning is very different to that posted above.
The author is Jesus.
The strange time is the period of his crucifixion and death.
She was my women (Mary Magdalene) and he was my friend (his erstwhile friend Judas).
But he was wrong about both.
He's talking to God who is putting him through this strange time and despite that he still loves God.
"Roll away the stone". He's in the cave. He's begging God to open the cave, protecting him and resurrect him for the good of those who'll be around in 2000 years ie us.
He thought God would have filled him in as to when the end of times would occur but he hasn't ("I guess you thought I knew")
He then accuses God of just trying to avoid him (Jesus) but still asks for protect and resurrection.
Mark Hayes
on Roll Away The Stone
The lyric is "She was my woman and HE was my friend". That is, he's talking about two different people.