The offbeat, enigmatic singer / guitarist Leon Redbone passed away last week at the age of 69. He's credited with reviving an interest in ragtime music, as well as old Tin Pan Alley tunes, as he popularized those styles starting in the mid-1970s. From Rolling Stone's appreciation:
"Often clad in a Panama hat and big, dark sunglasses, Redbone rose to prominence in the mid-Seventies, though he always had an air of mystery about him, famously refusing to answer questions about his age and background. He was reportedly born in Cyprus, but moved to Canada in the Sixties and began performing in Toronto nightclubs. He eventually hit the folk festival circuit, which is how he met Bob Dylan, who praised Redbone’s enigmatic aura in a 1974 interview with Rolling Stone. 'Leon interests me,' Dylan said. 'I’ve heard he’s anywhere from 25 to 60, I’ve been [a foot and a half from him] and I can’t tell. But you gotta see him. He does old Jimmie Rodgers, then turns around and does a Robert Johnson.'”Here's his sole top 100 song "(I Want To Be) Seduced" from 1981. Hat tip to reader and dear friend P.E.C. for suggesting it.
