Collection of Leon Russell works donated for Tulsa Popular Culture museum
BY WAYNE GREENE World Senior Writer
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
1/29/13 at 3:27 PM
The Oklahoma Historical Society announced the donation of a large collection of works featuring Grammy Award-winning Leon Russell for display in the future Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture in downtown Tulsa.
The historical society is seeking approval for a $42.5 million state bond issue from the Legislature to help fund the museum.
The donation of Russell memorabilia is contingent on passage of the bond issue.
The collection -- unveiled at a Tulsa press conference that featured an appearance by Russell -- was donated by Steve Todoroff.
"I, myself, am not an archivist," Russell said. "I can't keep my receipts for taxes."
It includes more than 4,500 items related to Russell's career, including photos, recordings, albums, posters, magazines and concert tickets.
"I normally get arrested in this area and now I've got a museum," Russell said during the news conference.
Russell, an Oklahoma native who attended Tulsa's Will Rogers High School, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, spoke in support of the pop culture museum.
"This museum is another opportunity for Oklahomans to put ourselves on a national stage and show the world that we are a growing, thriving state, not just because of our economic successes, but our cultural ones as well," he said.
Associated Images:
In this April 14, 2012 file photo, Leon Russell's performance at the Brady Theatre for his 70th birthday. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World File
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