Leon Redbone

Leon Redbone was one of the true oddballs of music, seemingly appearing out of nowhere with his 1975 debut, On the Track. The music was proudly old-fashioned (songs came from Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael and Jimmie Rodgers) as was the singer's gravelly delivery. Nothing was revealed about the singer's backstory, so he was presumed to be some ageless character (he was in fact only 26); one rumor even pegged him as Frank Zappa in disguise. He was ultimately revealed to be Dickran Gobalian, an Armenian native of Cyprus who had come up performing in Toronto. Yet the man-of-mystery air would remain an essential part of his live act, with his face usually hidden under a fedora hat; he also drew visual inspiration from his love of the vintage silent-film comedians. Redbone's affinity for vintage jazz, blues and Vaudeville-style material would continue to define his career, though he did occasionally record modern songs. The 1981 album From Branch to Branch included two of his own, plus the single "Seduced" (by little-known writer Gary Tigerman), which became something of a signature tune. His fanciful persona also made him a national fit for television; he also did TV commercials and soundtracks for family-friendly movies (notably "Elf" (2004), where he sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Zooey Deschanel). Another notable Christmas duet was done for his Christmas Island album, where he and Dr. John sang what may be the definitive "Frosty the Snowman." Despite a few changes of label (from Warners to Blue Thumb to Rounder) he continued to make albums that were largely untouched by current musical trends. His final new album, 2014's Flying By, again drew from two of his favorite sources, Jelly Roll Morton and Irving Berlin. Though Redbone revealed little of his personal life, he announced after that album that he was quitting performing due to health concerns. He had in fact settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where he was fighting dementia; he died in May 2019 in the company of his wife, children and grandchildren. In keeping with Redbone's persona, the official announcement said that he'd died at the age of 127.