Leon Russell in Stable Condition After Heart Attack
Veteran songwriter and musician Leon Russell is recovering from a heart attack he suffered last week. According to the Tulsa World, the 74-year-old artist is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
Russell is now undergoing tests. A note on his website says that he is scheduled to have surgery this week in Nashville and that a series of upcoming tour dates will be postponed during his recovery. New dates will be announced later.
You can see the list of postponed tour dates below.
Russell got his start at age 14 playing Tulsa, Okla., clubs with a band that also included J.J. Cale. After a move to Los Angeles in the '60s, he became an in-demand session musician (mostly on keyboards, but also he's also an accomplished guitarist) who played with some of the era's biggest names, including the Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Elton John and the Rolling Stones.
He released some solo records at this time, but he became a star writing songs for other artists. Joe Cocker's cover of "Delta Lady" was the first to push him into the mainstream, with hits like "Superstar" (covered by artists as varies as the Carpenters and Sonic Youth) and "A Song for You" (everyone from Ray Charles to Amy Winehouse have covered it) following. He was also the leader of Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour.
In 2010, he released an acclaimed album with John, The Union, that gave him his first chart success in years. He released a solo album in 2014, Life Journey, and still tours. He played the South by Southwest music festival in March, and is expected to resume shows later this year.
Leon Russell Postponed 2016 Tour Dates
July 20-21 - Key West, FL
July 22-23 - Boca Raton, FL
July 24 - Clearwater, FL
July 25 - Melbourne, FL
July 27 - Pensacola, FL
July 28 - Baton Rouge, LA
July 29 - Fort Smith, AR
Aug. 1 - Salina, KS
Aug. 2 - Topeka, KS
Aug. 3 - Sioux Falls, SD
Aug. 5 - Kansas City, MO
Aug. 6 - Lincoln, NE
Aug. 7 - Sturgis, SD
Aug. 9 - Missoula, MT
Aug. 13 - Morristown, MN
Aug. 14 - St. Louis, MO
Aug. 26-27 - Cortland, OH
Aug. 29 - Ann Arbor, MI
Sept. 1 - Fort Wayne, IN
Sept. 2 - Milwaukee, WI
Sept. 3 - Peoria, IL
Sept. 16 - Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 17 - New Braunfels, TX
Sept. 18 - Houston, TX
Top 100 Classic Rock Artists