In March, Elton will be giving his Union collaborator a trophy honouring musical excellence at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. The Hall’s Web site now has a page about Leon, with a link to one about the Rocket Man at
www.rockhall.com/inductees/leon-russell.
Three months after the Rock Hall recognition, Leon Russell is to be feted again. Leon, John Bettis, Garth Brooks, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint, will become the newest members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organisation’s 42nd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner.
The event is slated for Thursday, June 16, at New York City’s Marriott Marquis Hotel. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.
“We are inspired by the striking caliber and range of the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame class,” says SHOF Chairman, songwriter, and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Webb. “John, Garth, Leon, Billy, Tom and Allen each represent a unique breed of artist, warmly respected by their peers and revered by all lovers of song. As songwriters, their work has forever enriched our world’s music.”
Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame serves as a vital bridge between music’s past and future. In the museum, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organisation’s music community outreach grooms the next generation of troubadours. In entering the Hall, Leon, and the other aforementioned notables join an elite family that includes Elton, Bernie Taupin, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and many others.
