Entertainment blogging from The Oklahoman's Brandy McDonnell

Video: Leon Russell comes “Home Sweet Oklahoma” tonight to play Oklahoma State Fair

Singer/songwriter/pianist Leon Russell has “Home Sweet Oklahoma” on his mind and his tour schedule.

But he isn’t headed for Tulsa this time; rather, he is bound for Oklahoma City and the 2011 Oklahoma State Fair.

After spending much of August touring with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan, Russell, 69, is playing what is believed to be the Oklahoma music icon’s first showcase at the state fair, said fair spokesman Scott Munz.

When the Tulsa Sound pioneer plays for free tonight on the Chesapeake Energy Stage, it will mark a rare opportunity for fair-goers. After making a stunning comeback last year with the help of his superstar friend Elton John, Russell is experiencing a level of success and popularity he hasn’t seen since his heyday in the 1960s and ‘70s, when he collaborated with an array of musical icons, from Dylan and Phil Spector to the Beach Boys and Rolling Stones.

While Russell will undoubtedly will be sporting his trademark long hair, prodigious beard and sunglasses, believe it or not, he was not born with that particular look. Check out the above YouTube gem of Russell performing the Chuck Berry hit “Roll Over Beethoven” in 1964 on the ABC TV series “Shindig.” You will do a double take at his short-haired, clean-shaven appearance, but the distinctive nasal twang and fleet-fingered piano prowess is classic Leon Russell.

For even more fun, check out the quirky animated spoken-word version of “Home Sweet Oklahoma” that some creative soul posted on YouTube.

And to read the rest of my recent story about Russell’s state fair show, click here.

Welcome back to “Home Sweet Oklahoma,” Uncle Leon!

IN CONCERT

Leon Russell

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Where: Chesapeake Energy Stage.

Admission: Free with fair admission.

Information: 948-6700 or www.okstatefair.com.

-BAM

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Leon Russell coming “Home Sweet Oklahoma” to play state fair show

Singer/songwriter/pianist Leon Russell has “Home Sweet Oklahoma” on his mind and his tour schedule.

But he isn’t headed for Tulsa this time; rather, he is bound for Oklahoma City and the 2011 Oklahoma State Fair.

After spending much of August touring with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan, Russell, 69, is playing what is believed to be the Oklahoma music icon’s first showcase at the state fair, said fair spokesman Scott Munz.

When the Tulsa Sound pioneer plays for free Friday on the Chesapeake Energy Stage, it will mark a rare opportunity for fair-goers. After making a stunning comeback last year with the help of his superstar friend Elton John, Russell is experiencing a level of success and popularity he hasn’t seen since his heyday in the 1960s and ‘70s, when he collaborated with an array of musical icons, from Dylan and Phil Spector to the Beach Boys and Rolling Stones.

While inducting Russell into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, John listed even more of the veritable constellation of stars on whose albums Uncle Leon played: Bing Crosby. Doris Day. Frank Sinatra. Dean Martin. The Ventures. Bobby Darin. Jerry Lee Lewis. J.J. Cale.

“In the late ‘60s, I heard a record by Delaney & Bonnie, and I thought, ‘Wow, this guy who plays on this record, he’s got everything I like, he’s got soul and gospel and kind of bluegrass. He’s got everything going,” John said as he ushered Russell into the rock hall. “He was my idol. To meet him, I was shaking. For me, he sang, he wrote and he played just how I wanted to do it.”

A Lawton native, Russell started playing Tulsa nightclubs at age 14 and kept at it until graduating from Will Rogers High School in 1959. An originator of the Tulsa Sound, he moved to L.A. and became a popular session musician in the 1960s. He contributed to many of the decade’s top singles, including the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” the Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man” and Gary Lewis & the Playboys’ “This Diamond Ring.”

After Joe Cocker scored a 1969 hit with Russell’s “Delta Lady,” the Oklahoma native became ringmaster of Cocker’s legendary “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour. Russell also started his own label, Shelter Records, with offices in L.A. and Tulsa, releasing his self-titled solo debut and launching the career of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Russell was already a vital part of the rock ‘n’ roll scene when he and John first met at John’s first U.S. show at the famous Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1970.

In 1971, “Leon Russell & the Shelter People” became his first gold album. The following year, “Carney” held No. 2 on Billboard’s album chart for a month and produced his highest-charting single, “Tightrope,” which peaked at No. 11. He played with George Harrison and Friends at the Concert for Bangladesh, the pioneering 1971 benefit chronicled with an album and concert film, and he won a Grammy for his performance.

He also covered Hank Williams, recorded with Willie Nelson and introduced the world to fellow Tulsans the GAP Band.

Although pianist Bruce Hornsby produced a 1992 comeback album, “Anything Can Happen,” Russell had slipped into relative obscurity by 2009, when John decided to reconnect with his idol. John invited Russell to record a duet album they called “The Union,” with Grammy and Oscar winner T Bone Burnett producing.

Last October, “The Union” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, Fuse televised live the opening date of John and Russell’s 11-city tour (which included a Tulsa date), and they earned a Grammy nomination for album opener “If It Wasn’t for Bad.”

The folks at the rock hall soon came calling, and they weren’t the only ones.

In January, Russell performed at Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin’s inauguration. In April, he and John played “Saturday Night Live,” and director Cameron Crowe’s (“Almost Famous”) documentary chronicling the making of “The Union” opened New York’s Tribeca Film Festival. In June, Russell and country music megastar Garth Brooks became the fourth and fifth Oklahomans to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, after Woody Guthrie (1970), Ralph Blane (1983) and Jimmy Webb (1986).

Another mark of his triumphant comeback: Two albums hearkening back to Russell’s ‘70s success — the flashback compilation “The Best of Leon Russell” and previously unreleased concert chronicle “Live in Japan” — have already been released this year.

“The Master of Space and Time,” as Russell is known, has a busy touring schedule, including an “Austin City Limits” performance with B.B. King, through the end of November. But his Oklahoma State Fair concert looks to be Russell’s last home state show of his big year.

IN CONCERT

Leon Russell

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Where: Chesapeake Energy Stage.

Admission: Free with fair admission.

Information: 948-6700 or www.okstatefair.com.

-BAM

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New releases for Aug. 9, 2011: Leon Russell “Live in Japan,” “Mars Needs Moms,” “Paul”




 

The comeback continues for Oklahoma music icon and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Leon Russell. Since the success last year of Russell’s collaborative album “The Union” with Sir Elton John, labels have been mining the Tulsa Sound pioneer’s deep back catalog for rare and previously unreleased material.

The latest of these flashback releases is “Live in Japan,” out today on Omnivore Recordings. The first nine tracks were recorded at Tokyo’s Budokan Hall in November 1973. These were previously released on a Japanese-only LP and have never before been released on CD. The other seven tracks were recorded at a concert in Houston in April 1971 and have never been released before in any form.

Russell will play Friday, Sept. 16 at the Oklahoma State Fair. For more information, go to www.okstatefair.com.

Country up-and-comer Luke Bryan is releasing his new album “Tailgates & Tanlines” today. Look for my review in the coming days.

Also, contemporary metal band Trivium releases its fifth studio album today. The band is part of the lineup at the Mayhem Festival, featuring Disturbed, Godsmack and Megadeath, today at the Zoo Amphitheatre. For more information, click here.

Aliens are big today on DVD. Disney releases today the family film “Mars Needs Moms,” based on the children’s book by “Bloom County” cartoonist Berkley Breathed. To read my review of “Mars Needs Moms” on Blu-ray+DVD, click here. And a much less family-friendly alien appears in “Paul,” the latest comedy from writer-actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:

CDs

Leon Russell, “Live In Japan.”

Luke Bryan, “Tailgates & Tanlines.”

Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Watch the Throne.” – Friday

Steve Cropper, “Dedicated.”

“Glee Cast”, “Glee The 3D Concert Movie” (soundtrack).

Barenaked Ladies, “Snacktime.”

Steven Curtis Chapman, “Re:Creation.”

Neil Young, “Live On Air/The Lost Tapes.”

Trivium, “In Waves.”

DVDs

Camp Hell

Choose

The Fox and the Hound/The Fox and the Hound II

Jumping the Broom

The Last Godfather

M.A.S.K.: The Complete Series

Mars Needs Moms

Paul

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: The Final Season

Super

Tactical Force

Your Highness

Books

The Magician King: A Novel by Lev Grossman

Prime Time: Love, health, sex, fitness, friendship, spirit–making the most of all of your life by Jane Fonda

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann

Victory and Honor (Honor Bound) by W.E.B. Griffin, William E. Butterworth IV

House of Holes: A Book of Raunch by Nicholson Baker

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension by Christie Golden

After America: Get Ready for Armageddon by Mark Steyn

-BAM

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Leon Russell reflects on his career, plans to have a castle and ride into space

Lawton native Leon Russell isn’t bitter about the years he made music in relative obscurity before making the 2010 album “The Union” with Elton John revived his career.

“I didn’t start out to become famous, so when it disappeared I thought, well, that happens sometimes,” Russell told Reuters in an interview in New York where he was inducted last week into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “It does happen.”

The Tulsa Sound pioneer admitted his avoidance of the media didn’t help him stay in the musical forefront.

“I was avoiding the press, I really didn’t like doing (interviews), so that more than anything is what it was,” he said. “I didn’t like to talk to people who didn’t really know me and didn’t care about me.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, 69, grew up in Tulsa, beginning his musical career at age 14 and graduating from Tulsa’s Will Rogers High School. In the 1960s, he was an in-demand session musician. In the ’70s, he led Joe Cocker’s legendary “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour, performed with George Harrison and Friends at the Concert for Bangladesh and released a series of successful albums.

Among others, he contributed to the records of Cocker, Sam Cooke, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Harrison, Doris Day, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Eric Clapton, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Herb Alpert, Sinatra, Dylan, The Rolling Stones and was also in Phil Spector’s studio group.

“I have never been off stage for the past 50 years,” said Russell, whose songwriting credits include “A Song For You,” “This Masquerade,” “ Delta Lady,” “Tight Rope,” “Bluebird” and “Hummingbird.”

At the height of his fame in the ’70s, Russell played huge arenas. As his fame slipped away, he played small nightclubs.

“I was used to playing in front of 20,000 and then with only 300 seats, the audience was right up in my face,” he told Reuters. “That took a bit of getting used to. It was different to what I was used to, but they all have their charms.”

In 2009, John was inspired to revive the career of the Oklahoma music icon, who had a profound influence on the English pop superstar’s early career. A fellow singer/songwriter/pianist, Britannia’s “The Rocket Man” invited the Sooner State’s “Master of Space and Time” to record a duet album, with Grammy and Oscar winner T Bone Burnett as producer.

“The Union” debuted last October at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, John and Russell earned a Grammy nomination for album opener “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” and the rock and songwriters halls soon were extending long-overdue invitations. It was his first hit since his 1979 album “One for the Road” with Willie Nelson.

Director Cameron Crowe’s (“Almost Famous”) documentary chronicling the making of the album, “The Union,” opened the Tribeca Film Festival in April and is set to premiere on HBO next January.

“It’s a wonderful thing, it’s all up to Elton,” Russell said. “I am very thankful.”

Russell is planning tour dates with Bob Dylan and a solo album. He didn’t reveal much more about his future plans, instead showing off his wicked sense of humor.

Indeed, Russell isn’t one for talking about plans. “I am going to make millions of dollars and have a castle and ride into space,” he told Reuters. “I am happy with what comes, I don’t have expectations of any stature.”

Apparently, he doesn’t have any regrets, either.

“I wish I had gone into industrial plumbing,” he told Reuters. “That’s a joke.”

-BAM

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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Behind the scenes of Cody Canada & The Departed’s “This Is Indian Land”

Red dirt rockers Cody Canada & The Departed take fans behind the scenes of the making of their debut album, “This Is Indian Land,” in this mini-documentary.

Released Tuesday, the pays tribute to some of Oklahoma’s great songwriters. The video includes snippets of the band performing Leon Russell’s “Home Sweet Oklahoma,” the Red Dirt Rangers “Starin’ Down the Sun,” Tom Skinner’s “Water Your Own Yard” and Randy Pease’s “Ballad of Rosalie.”

As listed in today’s “What to do in Oklahoma” here on BAM’s Blog, The Departed are celebrating the release of the new album tonight with a concert at historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa.

They will play another CD release show Thursday night at Oklahoma City’s Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Doors open at 6 p.m. Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.

To read my recent interview with frontman Cody Canada, click here. And look for my review of “This Is Indian Land” in the coming days.

-BAM

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Photo gallery 2: 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner

Oklahoma natives Garth Brooks and Leon Russell were among the honorees Thursday night at the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame 42nd Anniversary Induction and Awards Dinner in New York City.

Along with Brooks and Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the star-studded musical gala. Honored with special awards were Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were presented the Johnny Mercer Award; Drake, who received the Hal David Starlight Award; the legendary Chaka Khan who received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award; Ervin Drake, who was presented the Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year;” and former hall of fame Chairman Emeritus Hal David, who received the first ever Visionary Leadership Award.

Here are some of the memorable moments from the event, from the Associated Press:

-BAM

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Photo gallery 1: 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Dinner

Oklahoma natives Garth Brooks and Leon Russell were among the honorees Thursday night at the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame 42nd Anniversary Induction and Awards Dinner in New York City.

Along with Brooks and Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the star-studded musical gala. Honored with special awards were Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were presented the Johnny Mercer Award; Drake, who received the Hal David Starlight Award; the legendary Chaka Khan who received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award; Ervin Drake, who was presented the Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year;” and former hall of fame Chairman Emeritus Hal David, who received the first ever Visionary Leadership Award.

Here are some of the memorable moments from the event, provided by the Songwriters Hall of Fame:

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Garth Brooks, Leon Russell welcomed into Songwriters Hall of Fame

Oklahoma natives Garth Brooks and Leon Russell were among the honorees Thursday night at the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame 42nd Anniversary Induction and Awards Dinner, where the hall of fame’s chairman Jimmy Webb, who hails from Elk City, and President/CEO Linda Moran celebrated some of the key songwriting legends of our time.

Along with Brooks and Russell, John Bettis, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly and Allen Toussaint were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the New York City gala. Honored with special awards were Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were presented the Johnny Mercer Award; Drake, who received the Hal David Starlight Award; the legendary Chaka Khan who received the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award; Ervin Drake, who was presented the Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year;” and former hall of fame Chairman Emeritus Hal David, who received the first ever Visionary Leadership Award.

Some of the 2011 event’s most memorable moments featured Oklahomans: Garth Brooks and Billy Joel’s unforgettable duet of “Shameless,” in matching black cowboy hats, Leon Russell on piano with “A Song for You” and Garth’s wife Trisha Yearwood’s beautiful medley tribute to Hal David, including “What The World Needs Now.”

In addition, legendary songwriting partners Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly performed their iconic “Like A Virgin,” Chaka Khan gave a powerhouse performance of “I’m Every Woman,” and the talented Chrissie Hynde captivated the crowd with “I’ll Stand By You.” Hip-hop sensation Drake performed, “The Calm,” off a mixtape for the first time at an award show or event, and in honor of John Bettis, Skyler Grey performed “Human Nature” on a dulcimer.  The interesting pairing of Sam Moore and Bill Medley brought the crowd to its feet with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

The Johnny Mercer Award, which is the highest honor from the Songwriters Hall of Fame as only previous inductees can be eligible, was presented to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Throughout the past four decades, the melodies of Mann and the lyrics of Weil have comprised one of the most successful songwriting teams in history. Their body of work is so significant that it is often described as “a soundtrack to our lives.”  Weil dedicated their award to “every songwriter facing 88 keys and a blank page” and recognized that receiving the Johnny Mercer Award is the consummate honor for a lyricist.  The husband-and-wife team have written legendary songs such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” (with Phil Spector), “On Broadway” (with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), “Walking In The Rain,” “Soul And Inspiration,” “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” and the Grammy-nominated “Don’t Know Much” (with Tom Snow) to name just a few.

This year’s Hal David Starlight Award, given to gifted songwriters who are making significant impact in the music industry via their original songs, was presented to Drake by Jimmy Jam. Drake is one of music’s brightest new stars lauded for his songwriting prowess, melodious hooks and emotionally transparent performances.  Drake dedicated the award to his mother, Sandi Graham, calling her the strongest person he knows.

The legendary Chaka Khan was this year’s recipient of the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award, presented by Valerie Simpson. Music icon Khan, recognized for her all-powerful lungs, show stopping stage presence and fearless style thanked all of the amazing songwriters that have given her “her voice.” The soul singer-songwriter has won 10 Grammys and countless other awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from both BET and the World Music Awards, as well as the prestigious UNCF Award of Excellence for her outstanding accomplishments in the music industry. Khan created some of the industry’s biggest hits, such as  “I’m Every Woman,” “Papillon,” “What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me?” and “I Feel For You.”

This year’s Towering Song Award for “It Was A Very Good Year” was presented to Ervin Drake, and performed by actor/songwriter Dominic Chianese. The song was originally recorded by Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio in 1961, but it was Frank Sinatra’s rendition in 1965 that made the song legendary with his Grammy Award-winning version in D-minor. “It Was A Very Good Year,” has been recorded by many artists such as Oklahoma City-based rockers The Flaming Lips, Don McLean, Richie Havens, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Lou Rawls, Eartha Kitt, Robbie Williams and Ray Charles as a duet with Willie Nelson.

Hal David was the recipient of the first ever Visionary Leadership Award for his outstanding 10 years of service as the Songwriting Hall of Fame’s chairman and CEO. During his chairmanship, the hall of fame’s Virtual Museum (Songhall.org) developed into the industry’s most authoritative website on songwriters and songwriting, becoming a comprehensive research tool with more than 250,000 records of data and over 10,000 pages of content that includes photos, discographies, audio clips and more. With David at the helm, the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner has become one of the most anticipated events on the music industry calendar. Along with his extraordinary service to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, David is a legendary and Academy Award-winning lyricist.  He was inducted into the hall of fame in 1972, was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award in 1996 and the Towering Song Award for his iconic song “What The World Needs Now” in 2004.

-BAM

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Cody Canada & The Departed digging into red dirt roots with debut album, “This Is Indian Land”

Cody Canada & The Departed are digging into their Oklahoma music roots with their debut album.

Formed last year after the disbanding of red dirt stars Cross Canadian Ragweed, the Oklahoma-Texas quintet is releasing Tuesday “This Is Indian Land,” an 18-track salute to the Sooner State songwriters, from Leon Russell and J.J. Cale to the Red Dirt Rangers and Tom Skinner.

“About eight years, Jeremy (Plato) and I have been talking about it. Finally made it happen.” said Canada, who grew up in Yukon and Stillwater and now makes his home in New Braunfels, Texas.

“These are the tunes that we wanted people to hear since the get-go. These are the songs that taught us how to do it, and we finally got ‘em nailed down. Jeremy’s singing and I’m singing and we’re sharing the dirt with people.”

After Ragweed announced last year an indefinite hiatus, singer/songwriter/guitarist Canada and singer/bassist Jeremy Plato formed The Departed with Texas guitarist Seth James, Tulsa keyboardist Steve Littleton and Yukon drummer David Bowen. For their first project, their frontman proposed they showcase their Oklahoma music heroes.

In particular, Canada wanted to pay homage to the musical community that gathered at The Farm, a rural homestead outside Stillwater that is recognized as the birthplace of red dirt music. When he moved to Stillwater at age 16, the songwriters he met there nurtured his musical aspirations.

“I met all these people and it really gave me direction. And it really made me figure out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life and music,” he said.

The Departed will celebrate and perform with many of the songwriters featured on the album at a semi-private show Tuesday night at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. The Departed then will play public CD release concerts Wednesday at Cain’s and Thursday at Oklahoma City’s Wormy Dog Saloon.

Canada and his bandmates knew they were tilling fertile musical soil with the concept, but even he seemed surprised at how quickly they gathered too many ideas.

“There was about five of ‘em that we’d been thinking about for a long time. But once we got started, man, we had to just shut it down. I mean, we had about 20 songs picked, so we had to shave it off, man, because we didn’t have that much time for the studio,” he said in a phone interview last week from the road in Abilene, Texas.

Rather than choosing one of Cale’s well-known hits like “After Midnight” or “Cocaine,” the band picked “If You’re Ever in Oklahoma.” It seemed a perfect complement“Home Sweet Oklahoma” by Russell, a newly inducted member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“We listen to that song every night, Jeremy and I — not our version, but his (Russell’s) version, or Skinner’s version, he had one a few years back — and You can’t really do a tribute record to Oklahoma songwriters without including those two guys,” Canada said.

The album’s lead single, “The Ballad of Rosalie,” is the first song Canada can recall hearing out at The Farm. He vividly remembers Skinner playing Randy Pease’s yarn about love, lust and touring in the Gypsy Cafe, the shack where much of the jamming took place.

“I just fell in love with it,” he said. “When we went in to practice for the first time, that was the first tune we fired up, the first song The Departed ever played.”

“Twenty years from now when we’re still rocking on the road, we’ll still be playing that song. Songs come and go in set lists, I learned that with Ragweed,” he added, “but I think ‘Rosalie’s’ gonna be one of those ones that are always there.”

Along with Skinner’s “Water Your Own Yard” and “Skyline Radio,” Canada and his cohorts picked several songs from red dirt mainstays, including the late Bob Childers’ “Make Yourself Home,” Red Dirt Rangers’ “Starin’ Down the Sun” and Greg Jacobs’ “A Little Rain Will Do.” Kevin Welch sings along on his “Kickin’ Back in Amsterdam, and the album includes phone calls from Skinner, Ranger John Cooper and Randy Crouch, an idea that developed as the band struggled to adapt Crouch’s “Face on Mars.”

Entering another orbit to translate Crouch’s spacey rocker from an old acoustic recording was the most challenging task on the project, Canada said.

“We couldn’t figure out what key it was in, and it was driving us crazy. We’d sit on the back of the bus and try to figure it out. We took it into the studio and turned it up on loud speakers. We put it in front of a tuner,” Canada said. “Then we realized that Randy had tuned his guitar to his fiddle and then he sped up the tape to make the song a little faster. So the key didn’t even exist. We messed with it and messed with it.”

When the frontman struggled to decipher one line of the song, he tried desperately for two or three months to contact the songsmith. One day while the band was in the studio with their cell phones off, Crouch left an enigmatic voicemail singing the baffling line. When he heard it, Canada knew the message had to be shared with their fans.

After all, sharing the band’s love for Oklahoma music is really the goal.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted to do with this project, “From the time I thought about doing it years ago, almost 10 years ago, I just wanted people to know where we come from,” Canada said.

“It was like a real selfless thing. From California to Florida, all the places that we’ve played, I’ve sat around talking to people about ‘Oh, you gotta hear this guy Tom Skinner or if you like this tune or you like this band, you’ll love Bob Childers’ … and now it feels like we finally get a chance to let people know who these people are.

“And hopefully they’ll get this record and they’ll dig into a Tom Skinner song and then they’ll search the Internet and try to find a Tom Skinner record. That’s the whole point of it.”

In concert

Cody Canada & The Departed album release shows

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Where: Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N Main, Tulsa.

Information: (918) 584-2306 or www.cainsballroom.com.

When: 8 p.m. Thursday. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Where: Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan.

Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.

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Leon Russell, Garth Brooks added to Songwriters Hall of Fame

For the third time this year, a national hall of fame has plucked a pair of solid-gold stars from Oklahoma’s remarkably deep and broad pool of musical talent.

Tulsa Sound pioneer and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Leon Russell and Owasso resident and future Country Music Hall of Fame shoo-in Garth Brooks were to be ushered into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night in New York City.

Brooks and Russell became the fourth and fifth Oklahomans to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, after Woody Guthrie (1970), Ralph Blane (1983) and Jimmy Webb (1986), according to Oklahoma Rock Newsblog.

“We are inspired by the striking caliber and range of the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame class,” said Webb, who is chairman of the songwriters hall and an Elk City native, when the honorees were announced earlier this year. “Each represents a unique breed of artist, warmly respected by their peers and revered by all lovers of song.”

Along with Brooks and Russell, the 2011 inductee class includes the team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, whose hits include “Like a Virgin” and “True Colors”; John Bettis, who penned “Human Nature” and “Crazy for You”; and Allen Toussaint, who wrote “Working in the Coal Mine” and “Yes We Can.”

Brooks’ wife and fellow Grammy-winning country star Trisha Yearwood was among the musical luminaries set to perform or speak in honor of the inductees Thursday, along with Billy Joel, Dwight Yoakam, Bill Medley, Boz Scaggs, Chrissie Hynde, Dominic Chianese, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Jimmy Jam, Sam Moore and Skylar Grey.

The songwriters hall induction marked the second time this year Russell has earned hall of fame status. In March, he officially joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A Lawton native, Russell, 68, grew up in Tulsa, beginning his musical career at age 14 and graduating from Tulsa’s Will Rogers High School. In the 1960s, he was an in-demand session musician. In the ’70s, he led Joe Cocker’s legendary “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour, performed with George Harrison and Friends at the Concert for Bangladesh and released a series of successful albums.

While he never stopped making music, Russell had slipped into relative obscurity until Elton John was inspired to revive the career of the Oklahoma music icon, who had a profound influence on the English pop superstar’s early career. A fellow singer/songwriter/pianist, Britannia’s “The Rocket Man” invited the Sooner State’s “Master of Space and Time” to record a duet album, with Grammy and Oscar winner T Bone Burnett as producer.

“The Union” debuted last October at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, John and Russell earned a Grammy nomination for album opener “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” and the rock and songwriters halls soon were extending long-overdue invitations. Director Cameron Crowe’s (“Almost Famous”) documentary chronicling the making of the album, “The Union,” opened the Tribeca Film Festival in April and is set to premiere on HBO next January.

Besides “If It Wasn’t for Bad,” Russell’s songwriting credits include “A Song For You,” “This Masquerade,” “ Delta Lady,” “Tight Rope,” “Bluebird” and “Hummingbird.”

Certified by the Recording Industry Association of America as the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history, Brooks has sold more than 128 million albums and is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark.

Born in Tulsa and raised in Yukon, Brooks helped push country to the musical forefront in the ’90s with his blend of working man’s blues, honky-tonk and arena rock. His songwriting credits include his smashes “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “Unanswered Prayers” and “We Shall Be Free.”

In the midst of his thriving career, Brooks retired in 2001 and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his three daughters. In 2009, he re-emerged to begin a five-year stint playing acoustic shows at the Wynn Las Vegas resort and casino. In December, he performed nine Nashville arena shows that raised $5 million for the flood relief efforts in Tennessee.

Along with Brooks and Russell, Oklahoma natives Reba McEntire, who hails from Chockie, and Jean Shepard, who was born in Pauls Valley, have garnered hall of fame honors this year. The influential ladies were inducted last month into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

-BAM

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