Last year, Elton John was on safari in Africa when he heard a Leon Russell song and wept. He remembered how Russell was so kind, so encouraging, back in 1970 when newcomer John opened a short tour for his idol.
With John grossing around a million dollars a show these days and Russell playing a 600-capacity outdoor venue recently in Austin, Texas, it's hard to remember 40 years ago when the roles were reversed.
When John heard Russell's "Back to the Island" on last year's safari, he cried not just for all the great memories, but because he realized that he had not done enough to repay the musician he has credited with "completely changing the way I thought about playing the piano and singing" in the late '60s.
Within a few weeks, John was on the phone introducing himself to T-Bone Burnett, asking the producer if he'd be interested in making a duet record with the old piano pals. That project, "The Union," comes out Oct. 19. The first single, "If It Wasn't for Bad," is available now on iTunes.
"It's not often you get to make a record with your idol," John says in a short film by Cameron Crowe being used to promote "The Union."
Willie Nelson is another giant who credits Russell's tutelage for helping get him where he is today. In 1972, when Leon had two top 10 albums and was playing stadiums, he embraced the red-headed country singer.
There was a time when Russell compositions such as "A Song for You," "Superstar" and "This Masquerade" became standards overnight because they sounded like they'd been around forever.
He'd come up the right way, playing sessions with Freddie King, the Beach Boys, the Byrds and Phil Spector while still using his birth name Russell Bridges.
