Leon Russell

Recognizable for his long white hair, a long white beard, aviator sunglasses and signature large straw cowboy hat, Leon Russell was a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Lawton, OK. Despite his rock and roll appearance, Russell created tasteful piano rock, in the same vein as Billy Joel or Elton John. Initially getting his start in the 1960s as a studio pianist working with an impressive list of musicians and producers including Phil Spector, The Beach Boys and The Byrds, he managed to evolve as a respectable solo musician in the 1970s by making catchy, instrumentally-adept, country-tinged music. While his notoriety ebbed since his 1970 self-titled debut album, Russell still released music and played shows up until his death at 74 in 2016.