Woodstock on the Water Set for August 7th 

There Was a Legend in the Neighborhood ….We Never Even Knew It!

The Pensacola Birthday Bash, dubbed Woodstock on the Water and located in Lawhead Hollow, now more readily recognized by many as Hippie Hollow or Leon Russell Cove, is set for Saturday August 7th. The event also embraces the Grand Lake legend of Leon Russell, always brings back some distant memories. Having purchased our place in 1976 on Grays Hollow, which is and was known as Dripping Springs by most, I had no idea a rock star icon was just a few hundred yards away. After Leon had left the lake, in 1981 we believe, the stories started to surface, at least for me, about his over ten year presence here on the pond.

 Russell, a Tulsan, had grown tired of the fast pace and had purchased an eight acre tract of land and announced plans to spend over a half million dollars constructing a new house, state of the art recording studio and refurbishing two existing cabins on the property. After completion of the project, his guest list read like a who's who of the recording industry. People like Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, J.J. Cale, Freddy King, George Harrison and the Gap Band were just a few of regulars who not only relaxed there, but used the facilities to record and produce as well.

 Some of the locals were more attuned to what was going on than yours truly and watched from afar as Leon's presence on Grand Lake grew. And people in the industry, like the late George Bingham, would certainly be able to share a tale or two, but there are vivid memories from the living as well.

 Long-time Lawhead Hollow resident Barbara Haver, who is our Grand Lake historian of record, says, "My kids were little in the late seventies and Russell would have his son brought over by power boat to play with my kids. Back in those days there was a lot of boat traffic coming and going to his place."

 Russell had a generous side as documented in an article published in the Tulsa World in 1974 which says in part, "The generosity of rock star Leon Russell will provide a summer of fun and education for some 30 to 40 boys who live at the Tulsa Boys Home. Rick Hill, personal aide to Russell, offered the palatial Grand Lake retreat of the singer-pianist-guitar-composer to a director of the Tulsa Boys Home for use by the boys throughout the summer."

 The boys were to be in charge of yard work and maintenance, but received instructions on swimming, water skiing and water and boat safety. Thanks to current property owner Rick Huskey, we were told of a current Grand Laker who participated that summer. Tony Mills is widely known as trader of sorts with guitar and Harley Davidson collections and being in the pawn shop business in the Tulsa area for many years. Tony was more than willing to share some of his memories from days gone by.

 Mills recollects, "Yeah, we'd work during the day and late in the afternoons we would swim, water ski and do a lot of fun activities that kids like us would have never had the opportunity to enjoy. I remember what at the time seemed like a huge cabin cruiser. Not all the boys got to come…it was a competition based on good behavior to see who got to go."

 During our conversation with Tony, we learned another Grand Laker, Darrell Hicks, was employed by the Boys Home and directly supervised Mills on a daily basis as a counselor. Hicks says, "I was going to Tulsa Junior College during the days and supervising one of the dorms early in the morning and at night. It was perfect for a college student. Did I give Tony any licks? Don't really recall, but probably so"

 The collaboration of a birthday celebration for the completion of the Pensacola Dam and recognizing the influence of Leon Russell on Grand Lake came about innocently enough from a phone call regarding the possibility of renaming Lawhead Hollow to recognize Leon in some way. Long-time Grand Laker and current GRDA board member Pete Churchwell initiated the idea. Many years ago, while fishing near the Russell compound, Pete had stumbled on to some musicians just jamming on the Russell lakeside deck.

 Pete told me during the phone call, "I was fishing when I started hearing music from further down in the cove. When I got closer, I realized it was George Harrison and J.J. Cale. I abandoned fishing and enjoyed my own personal concert. That's how I discovered Leon's presence on Grand Lake."

 Pete's idea was to change the official name of the cove to include, in some way, the Russell name, but no one is real sure how the coves even were named to begin with….probably from the dominant landowner, but who knows for sure. Pete ran it by the GRDA legal department…they had no problem with it, but weren't sure how it would be accomplished. Would the Russell family need to be consulted? Lots of variables here and as the United States congress is discovering, change doesn't come easily.

 In short, come August 7th from 1-5pm we will be celebrating the completion of the greatest construction project ever undertaken in Oklahoma and presence of a rock star icon on Grand Lake and his impact. Some say Hippie Hollow, others may call it Leon Russell Cove, while most maps will continue to proclaim it Lawhead Hollow, but we all know we will call it whatever we want to.

 Our next historic blog will detail how a frustrated musician and now the owner of the formerly Russell property, had to become a chiropractor to support his love of music. Tulsan Rick Husky has a few stories of his own about the property, including how the previous owner, Leon Russell performed for Husky and approximately 30 of his friends at Husky's 40th birthday party.

 See Ya'  Around the Pond!!