Leon Redbone has passed away. Another hard loss for the music world.
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/...69-1203229012/
Leon Redbone has passed away. Another hard loss for the music world.
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/...69-1203229012/
RIP. I loved this guy.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
So saddened to learn this. What a fantastic talent, and a remarkable interpreter of countless TradJazz classics.
Very sad news. Leon was a unique and wonderful person.
Peace
‘Please don’t talk about me when I’m gone’
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GNXFyrQ6smU
One of the greatest fingerpicking stylists I ever heard/saw... a huge talent...
Saw him in concert long ago because I liked his music so much. So good, he will be missed.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
One of the greatest guitar players and entertainers of our age. Could play it all.... and play it all at the highest level.
RIP Leon!
A "unique voice". Loved his music. The world was better for introducing some of us to the great American treasure trove of songs.
I saw Leon Redbone in November 1978 in Poughkeepsie as the opening act for Tom Waits. I had not heard of him but I was extremely impressed with his singing, guitar playing, and his material. I ran right out and bought “On The Track.” RIP.
RIP
Dickran Gobalian
Very sad to hear of this. Of course he retired about 3 years ago rather abruptly and perhaps the health problems started then. I had the opportunity to see him perform about 10 years ago. Thoroughly enjoyable. Such a unique performer. If memory serves I think he had a 3 piece band. I don’t remember the others but I do remember he had a cornet player. Not trumpet, cornet. His solos added greatly to the retro feel. And the thing I thought was most interesting, any other musical performance I’ve ever either participated in or listened to had either a program or, at least apparently, a set list of some type. Going against the norm as he did with many musical conventions, between songs he noodled about on his guitar while telling a story or a joke or just spouting various witticisms, while apparently trying to decide what to play next. That kind of controlled randomness actually added to the show. It left the crowd wondering what was going to happen next. I wonder if anyone else who saw him live noticed this. Whatever the reason he did it, it just worked.
Anybody else remember, in the 70’s when he first hit the scene, there were two rumors going around about him? One was that he was actually Frank Zappa doing an alternate persona. This was due to some physical facial resemblances. Another one is that he was really Andy Kauffman doing schtick. Both Frank and Andy’s deaths put those rumors to rest, since Leon outlived them both.
Don
2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
2011 Weber Bitterroot A
1974 Martin Style A
I first remember seeing Leon on Saturday Night Live back in the mid-70's. He was very 'different' then, and kept his musical focus for the rest of his career . . . and that, I can really appreciate - as opposed to some artists whose music consonantly changes with each passing fad.
RIP
RIP
Had his original LP on vinyl.
==================
Ken
Eastman Fan
I saw Leon at “Canterbury House” here in Kalamazoo, May of 1974, in the middle of an ice storm! The first guy I ever gigged with has the Guild F-20 he played at that gig! I will never forget that night, along with many others from that venue, fond memories indeed.
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
I saw him in concert maybe 10 years ago. He sort of sat on a stool with his guitar, mumbled a bit in a gravely voice and noodled and then just played ... mumbled a bit and played ... and played ... i'd never seen an artist hold a stage and an audience in thrall by simply being himself without any glamour, glitz or what appeared to be a set list. Amazing experience.
--------------------------------
1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
1952 Strad-o-lin
1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
2011 Eastman MD305
The world is a little less cool today....
Leon Redbone and Leo Kottke are the only major artists I've seen in my tiny rural corner of the country. Both fantastic.
RIP Mr. Redbone.
1989/2019 Ike Bacon/Barry Kratzer F5
1945 Levin 330
192? Bruno (Oscar Schmidt) banjo-mandolin
early Eastwood Mandostang
2005 Tacoma CB-10 acoustic bass guitar
Fender Tweed Deluxe clone
According to hearsay, when he was first touring he had no agent, and it was nearly impossible to contact him. He gave out the number of a pool hall in Toronto, where you could leave him a message, and maybe he'd get back to you.
I commend his Wikipedia page to those who've only heard and seen him as a performer. Learned from it that his former name was Dickran Gobalian, and that he was born on Cyprus. However, these facts -- while interesting -- are only tangential to his dedication to preserving music of our past, and his unique stage persona. One of a kind, and will be missed.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
Saw him several times in Athens, Ga. late '70s , early '80s. One night in the middle of his show, just him and his guitar, he abruptly quit playing, stood up and sat an old, cheap record player on his stool. He dropped the needle, announced to the crowd, " And now for some music" and ambled off the stage. It was an old scratchy record, could barely make out what it was but he let it play for a few minutes, came back out, put the record player away and continued his set. To say he was a unique character is a serious understatement and he will be sorely missed. RIP Leon
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
Yes, Leon used to hang out at a (long-gone) pool hall at the entrance to the Yonge-Bloor subway station, Toronto's main intersection. I'd sometimes see him there as I was heading for the subway. Rumour had it that he was quite a pool shark, who made money by gambling. Redbone was a highly skilled and impressive musician, who, in his Toronto days, seemed to put a great deal of thought and energy into creating a persona as a man of mystery. That's showbiz -- it worked. But, as Allen also said: "However, these facts -- while interesting -- are only tangential to his dedication to preserving music of our past, and his unique stage persona. One of a kind, and will be missed."
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Thanks for the music Leon!
Scott
I just listened to an hour of Leon on youtube..........great stuff! RIP
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