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Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .
In the span of a week, we have lost two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

It was announced today that Leon Russell, 74, died in his sleep in his home in Nashville, Tennessee.

From Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is difficult to state just what the man with the signature long white hair and beard is known best for.  Russell’s origins in Tulsa took him to become one of the most requested session musicians in the 1960’s, becoming part of the famed “Wrecking Crew” in Los Angeles.  The multi-talented Russell played on “This Diamond Ring” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys and the xylophone of Brian Hyland’s hit, “The Joker was Wild” just to name a few.  Russell had also established himself as a songwriter, again collaborating with Gary Lewis and the Playboys with minor hits, “Everybody Loves a Clown” and “She’s Just My Style”.  That in itself is a solid career, but by decade’s end, it was clear that Leon Russell was just getting started.

Russell would begin touring with Delaney & Bonnie, where he would meet other musicians like Joe Cocker and George Harrison, with whom he would work with.  He would pen “Delta Lady” for Joe Cocker and in 1970 would lead the Mad Dogs and Englishmen band for Cocker in what would be his most significant tour.  He would finally release his first solo album, named appropriately, “Leon Russell”, which featured “A Song for You”, which would be covered by a myriad of artists in the years that followed.

The 1970’s saw Russell continue being a true renaissance man of the business.  He would play the famous Concert for Bangladesh with George Harrison in 1971 and would collaborate with Bob Dylan, producing and performing songs for him and would tour with the Rolling Stones.  All the while, Russell was still putting out acclaimed solo albums on his own.

He would foray into Country music under the pseudonym, Hank Wilson and would help the Funk group, The Gap Band get their start by backing them on their 1974 album.  Russell was established as an excellent live performer, session musician, singer, songwriter and everyman in the business. 

As the years progressed and Leon Russell would become one of the elder statesman multiple musicians cited him as a major influence.  Russell would still record and write songs and collaborate on an album Elton John in 2010 called “The Union”.  For his efforts in music, Russell was inducted into both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Leon Russell.



As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com have been diligently working on expanding our website, and we have a small addition to our Basketball section, the 2021 Basketball Futures.

As many of you know, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has reduced the eligibility wait by one year, thus making everyone eligible five years after their career ends in the National Basketball Association. 

We know this much.  Once you take a look at the group that is eligible and see the three certain first ballot Hall of Famers, perhaps you will wish to join us on our pilgrimage to Springfield, Massachusetts in 2021!

The 2021 Future Eligible Basketball Players are: 

Tim Duncan, a Center from St. Croix who would play his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs.  Duncan was a ten time First Team All NBA Selection, a five time NBA Champion and a two time MVP.

Mo Williams, a one time All Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Kobe Bryant, a ferocious scorer who took the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA Championships.  He is also a one time NBA MVP and eleven time First Team All Pro Selection. 

Kevin Garnett, a prep to star player who helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship and WAS the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Garnett is a former NBA MVP and four time First Team All NBA Selection.

Elton Brand, a two time All Star.

Amar’e Stoudemire, a six time All Star who would be named to an All-NBA team five times.

Duncan, Bryant and Garnett?  All three of them will (and better) enter the Basketball Hall of Fame on their first go and if they don’t the entire institution should be blown up.

Realistically, we are not worried about that not happening and are assuming that this will be one of the greatest trios to enter the Hall of Fame together. 
The Toy Hall of Fame has announced their newest class, and as always it certainly brings back our inner child every time we discuss it here.

This year, the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, which houses the Toy Hall of Fame selected three toys to add to the fifty-nine others that are already in.

The three new inductees are:

The Swing: Which has its beginnings from ancient time and became a household staple for suburban backyards.

Fischer Price’s “Little People”: A toy that first hit the market in 1959.

Dungeons & Dragons: A table top game that came into being in 1974 became a cultural phenomenon and geek’s paradise for years.

Congratulations to these toys and let’s see which one of our childhood memories get in next year!
It is another sad day in the music industry. 

On his official Facebook Page, it was announced that revered folk-poet singer, Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82.  The cause of death has not been disclosed.

While there was a plethora of singer songwriters who emerged in the 1960’s, there was none that could batch his haunting and deep voice and the wide scope of topics that his songs broached.  Amazingly, it almost never happened.

Cohen, who was born in Quebec, was a published poet but hardly a successful one.  A meeting with Judy Collins led to her using two of his songs on her album, “In My Life”, and he would become one of the more sought after songwriters, and later performers. 

Unlike so many, Cohen would have a successful career for decades, enjoying a renaissance of sorts, especially with the constant reworking of what is now his most famous song, “Hallelujah”.  He would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and would later receive The Order of Canada, considered the highest honor that be given from that nation.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com offer our condolences to the friends, family and fans of Leonard Cohen.