Leon Russell, Elton John appear on “Saturday Night Live. Live from New York, it’s the “Rocket Man” and the “Master of Space and Time,” uniting once again.
British pop superstar Elton John will do double duty as both host and musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” during this weekend’s episode of the long-running sketch show. His recent duet partner and Oklahoma icon Leon Russell will join him for the program’s musical performances.
“SNL” airs at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC.
This Saturday’s episode will mark John’s first time back on the “SNL” stage since 1982, when he played the songs “Empty Garden” and “Ball and Chain,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Uncle Leon and his then-wife Mary Russell were musical guests on “SNL” back in 1976, according to IMDB.
The singer/songwriter/pianist pair was in New York last month when John ushered Russell into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Russell (and Owasso resident Garth Brooks) will be back in NYC June 16 for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
John and Russell have made several high-profile TV appearances together since releasing their collaborative album “The Union” last fall. “The Union” debuted in October at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, earned a Grammy nomination for best pop collaboration with vocals for lead single “If It Wasn’t for Bad” and sparked a dramatic career resurgence for Russell, who had fallen into relative obscurity after playing a pivotal role on the rock ‘n’ roll scene in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Russell’s top ‘70s classics have been compiled into a new CD and digital collection, “The Best of Leon Russell,” which will be released Tuesday by Capitol/EMI.
In addition, the documentary “The Union,” which director Cameron Crowe (“Almost Famous,” “Jerry Maguire”) shot about the making of the pair’s collaborative album, will make its world premiere April 20, opening the 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York.