On this evening, 50 years ago, I joined Fred and Pam Palmore in attending a concert at the San Diego International Sports Arena. The concert featured Leon Russell, with Freddy King and Buddy Miles also on the bill.
Note the prices on the poster above. If you didn’t get a ticket in advance, you had to fork over $5.
I don’t remember a whole lot about the concert, except that I remember at the time thinking it was particularly fun. The set list for the show is not available but songs at concert in LA the following night included Wild Horses (cover of the Rolling Stones), Give Peace A Chance (cover of John and Yoko), and the Leon Russell songs, Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen and Delta Lady.
UPDATE: Fred Palmore recalls, “I remember a large top hat outlined in lights hanging over the piano. He played with a backup group of singers he called ‘The Shelter People.'” Fred and Pam remained big fans of Russell and went to see him play in a small bar in Richmond, Va., many years later.
Though not from this specific concert, here’s a performance of Delta Lady around this time 50 years ago.
Leon Russell died in 2016. Always liked him. His voice was distinctive more than excellent, but his performances were lively and his style special. RIP.