Leon Russell, Southern Rock Legend and Pioneering Musician, Dies at 74

NASHVILLE, TN — Southern rock pioneer Leon Russell died in his sleep Sunday, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's Facebook page. He was 74.

As a teenager in Oklahoma, Russell was a progenitor of the so-called Tulsa Sound — an amalgam of rockabilly, country, rock and blues that influenced not just Southern rock but also alt-country, Red Dirt music and even British artists like Eric Clapton and Dire Straits — before moving to Los Angeles to become a session musician, songwriter and arranger when he was just 16. Russell joined the seminal session band known as "The Wrecking Crew," playing on some of the most famous and influential songs of the 1960s.

Striking commercial success as a songwriter by penning "Delta Lady" for Joe Cocker, Russell put together the touring band for Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour, during which Russell wrote perhaps his most well-known and certainly most-covered song "A Song for You," which has been recorded by artists as varied as Ray Charles, The Carpenters, The Temptations and Christina Aguilera.

In the 1970s, using the name "Hank Wilson," Russell had country success even as he continued to be one of the most sought-after backing musicians in rock.

In 2010, Russell re-emerged on "The Union," a critically acclaimed collaboration with Elton John.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame in 2011. He released a new solo record, "Life Journey," in 2014 and embarked on a worldwide solo tour.

He suffered a heart attack in July, followed by bypass surgery, forcing him to cancel a number of shows. He was scheduled to perform with the Tedeschi Trucks Band during a three-day residence at the Ryman in March.

Funeral arrangements are pending, according to Russell's wife, Jan Bridges.

Image via Flickr user Carl Lender, used under Creative Commons