Age, Biography and Wiki

Leon Wilkeson (Leon Russell Wilkeson) was born on 2 April, 1952 in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S., is an American bass guitarist (1952–2001). Discover Leon Wilkeson's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 49 years old?

Popular As Leon Russell Wilkeson
Occupation Bassist
Age 49 years old
Zodiac Sign Aries
Born 2 April 1952
Birthday 2 April
Birthplace Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
Date of death 27 July, 2001
Died Place Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S.
Nationality Rhode Island

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 2 April. He is a member of famous Musician with the age 49 years old group.

Leon Wilkeson Height, Weight & Measurements

At 49 years old, Leon Wilkeson height not available right now. We will update Leon Wilkeson's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
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Wife Not Available
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Leon Wilkeson Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Leon Wilkeson worth at the age of 49 years old? Leon Wilkeson’s income source is mostly from being a successful Musician. He is from Rhode Island. We have estimated Leon Wilkeson's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Musician

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Timeline

1952

Leon Russell Wilkeson (April 2, 1952 – July 27, 2001) was an American musician.

Born on April 2, 1952, in Newport, Rhode Island, but raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Wilkeson became a major Beatles fan just as he was becoming a teenager and began learning to play bass guitar in order to emulate his favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney.

Wilkeson dropped out of his school band in order to focus on learning the bass at the age of 14 and shortly afterward was approached by a fellow student who told him that her brother was searching for a bassist for his band.

Her brother turned out to be Donnie Van Zant, and soon after, Wilkeson signed on with Van Zant's group, the Collegiates.

However, due to plummeting school grades, Wilkeson had to drop out of the group.

Soon Wilkeson found himself in another local group, the King James Version.

He began to study the "lead bass style" of bassists such as Cream's Jack Bruce, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady, The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and the Allman Brothers' Berry Oakley.

1970

With its outlaw image, tough Southern rock, and solid touring, Skynyrd quickly became one of the top bands of the 1970s, scoring such hit albums as 1974's Second Helping, 1975's Nuthin' Fancy, 1976's Gimme Back My Bullets and One More from the Road, plus 1977's Street Survivors and such hit singles as "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama."

It was also during this time that Wilkeson picked up the gimmick of wearing colorful hats onstage, garnering the nickname "Mad Hatter."

Wilkeson acquired a "Fenderbird" bass from John Entwistle.

The Fenderbird bass mated a custom made Gibson Thunderbird body to a Fender Precision Bass neck.

After the crash, Wilkeson and the other survivors mostly stayed out of the spotlight for the remainder of the 1970s, as they attempted to put their lives back together.

1972

He was the bassist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until his death in 2001.

By 1972, Wilkeson was becoming one of Jacksonville's top bassists.

When Lynyrd Skynyrd's bassist Greg T. Walker left the band, Wilkeson was brought in as his replacement.

For a short time, Wilkeson worked at a dairy plant, Farm Best Dairy in Jacksonville, during which on an interview he laughed that he "got paid every two weeks and got all the ice cream he could eat".

1973

Lynyrd Skynyrd signed with Al Kooper's production company, Sounds of the South, a joint venture with MCA Records, in 1973.

Wilkeson returned to Jacksonville and his regular job stocking ice cream at Farmbest Dairy Products.

Former Strawberry Alarm Clock lead guitarist Ed King replaced Wilkeson during the recording of Skynyrd's debut album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, but just as sessions wrapped up, King and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant both agreed that King wasn't suited to be a bassist.

Van Zant subsequently visited Wilkeson and convinced him to rejoin the band, and King moved to co-lead guitar.

1975

Wilkeson can be seen playing this bass in a 1975 Lynyrd Skynyrd performance on the British TV series The Old Grey Whistle Test.

1977

The band and its entourage went down in a plane crash on October 20, 1977, outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi, which left members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines dead and the rest suffering severe lacerations, broken bones and various internal injuries.

Wilkeson was seated next to Steve Gaines, and both were thrown face first into a bulkhead at high speed while still strapped in their airline seats.

Wilkeson awoke to find Gaines dead from a broken neck and himself severely injured.

At the hospital, he was found to have suffered a closed double fracture of his left leg, a severe double compound fracture of his left arm, 6 broken ribs (one of which was an internal compound fracture that punctured and deflated his left lung), upper/lower jaw/nose/facial bones extensively smashed and 15 teeth (basically all of his teeth except the molars) knocked out.

The injury to his left arm was most concerning, as the dirty water of the swamp had already extensively contaminated his open wounds, and the additional surgery he would need to rebuild his face and arm with steel plates would raise his risk of infection even further.

His hands had survived intact, but his fretting arm suffered such extensive nerve damage that its amputation was seriously considered.

Subsequently, he was left with a greatly reduced range of motion, which forced him to hold his bass close to his body and at a distinctive near-vertical orientation.

Wilkeson returned to playing music professionally three years later, but never recovered his original dexterity on the instrument.

1979

Wilkeson managed to record bass parts for the 1979 album Contraband by Jacksonville band "Alias".

1980

The 1980s appeared to bring great promise for most of the surviving band members, as a new group, the Rossington-Collins Band, formed, consisting of Wilkeson, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, and keyboardist Billy Powell.

The Rossington-Collins Band got off to a good start, as their 1980 debut, '"Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere," became a modest hit.

After the Allen Collins Band fizzled, little was heard from Wilkeson during the mid-1980s, except for a short-lived membership with Rocco Marshall's Christian-rock band Vision, which also included Billy Powell.

1982

But shortly after the release of their second album, 1982's This Is the Way, the band split up.

1983

Wilkeson opted to remain with Collins in a new venture, The Allen Collins Band, issuing one album in 1983, Here, There and Back.

1987

But in 1987, Wilkeson and Powell signed on with a reunited version of Skynyrd, with Ronnie Van Zant's youngest brother, Johnny, performing lead vocals.

The group embarked on a successful, sold-out tour.

The new Skynyrd continued to tour and release albums on a regular basis.

2001

Wilkeson died in his sleep on July 27, 2001, at age 49 at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

He was pronounced dead by St Johns County Fire Rescue Paramedic, Charlie Galambos.