Image: Wikimedia Commons

Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Leon Russell Has Died, Aged 74

Leon Russell has passed away aged 74, according to an official statement on the musician’s website.

Russell, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, is said to have passed away in his sleep on Sunday, 13th November.

“We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this very, very difficult time,” says his wife Jan Bridges.

“My husband passed in his sleep in our Nashville home. He was recovering from heart surgery in July and looked forward to getting back on the road in January. We appreciate everyone’s love and support.”

The Oklahoma-hailing musician was known for his collaborations with some of the industry’s best, and over his lifetime worked alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Bob Dylan.

Although he released plenty of his own music, Russell was best known for his work as a session musician, playing sessions for The Monkees, The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra.

Loved and known for his trademark tophat, long hair and beard, Russell was a gentleman of American music, releasing his first solo album in 1970 and his final album in 2014. As Consequence Of Sound reports, his health had been on a steady decline since he underwent surgery for a brain fluid leak in 2010, and he had also suffered a heart attack in July of this year.

Relive one of his most famous tracks, A Song For You, below.

Watch: Leon Russell – ‘A Song For You’

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