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HUMANS 101
You Can’t Go Wrong Living With a Big Heart
What Elton John did brought me to tears, and made me think about how we can all be a little kinder
Living with a big heart — being magnanimous, considerate, generous, and respectful spreads kindness.
Elton John spread some kindness and touched my heart and the hearts of many others by what he did for legendary musician Leon Russell a few years ago.
Leon was a crack L.A. studio musician in the ’60s playing piano on dozens of songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, and many more. In the ’70s, he made his mark, releasing several well-received albums and then forming and leading Joe Cocker’s infamous Mad Dogs and Englishman touring band.
He wrote songs like “This Masquerade” covered by George Benson, “A Song For You,” “Hummingbird,” and stole the show at the 1971 concert for Bangladesh singing “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” an iconic performance.
I recently watched a video clip of Elton John discussing his relationship with Leon prior to Leon’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Before Elton’s career lifted off, he idolized Leon Russell — he wanted to sing, play, and write like him. After meeting in the early ’70s, Leon took the…
