Leon Redbone

[never/ever]

Sadly enough, he did go.

Lauded by greats like Dylan, only known worldwide from a song in the movie Elf.

Redbone certainly had one of the most interesting voices in his prime. One of the underrated greats.

[Charlie O.]

I was surprised to learn that he was only 69. That means he was only 19 when Dylan was talking about signing him to the record label he was talking about starting (never happened, obviously). "No-one knows how old he is..."

RIP

[toomanyhatz]

I'm seeing the Dylan meeting shown as 1972, meaning he'd have been 22 or 23. Still too young either way.

[Sneelock]

I think his family joked that he passed at 127 years old
I always loved the guy. I had a good friend who absolutely detested him for some reason.
I think he saw him as a poser or something. I admired his rich voice and song selection but thought his records were usually a little thin.
still, a gold plated original in my book. you can't please everybody, I guess.

while he could reach deep into "the American Songbook" I think many of my favorites are songs that were already well known to me like "polly wolly doodle" nobody sings that one like Leon Redbone.

I LOVE that people know him as Leon the Snowman in ELF - better than not knowing him at all.

my firm favorite is the last song on his Christmas album - "kitty kat's christmas" - mark my words, that's a seasonal classic just waiting to happen. I think maybe he had a hand in writing that one.

[Charlie O.]

I'm seeing the Dylan meeting shown as 1972, meaning he'd have been 22 or 23. Still too young either way.

You're right - I thought Dylan had talked about him in his 1969 RS interview, but the bit I was remembering was actually from a '74 piece.

Dylan does, however, maintain an interest in spotting — and helping — new talent. If Ashes & Sand were a reality, Dylan said, he’d want Leon Redbone.

“Leon interests me,” he said. “I’ve heard he’s anywhere from 25 to 60, I’ve been this close” — Dylan held his hands out, a foot and a half apart — “and I can’t tell, But you gotta see him. He does old Jimmie Rodgers, then turns around and does a Robert Johnson.” Redbone has surfaced at various folk festivals in the past years and is every bit the mystery that Dylan indicates.