Leon Everette – Never Take My Jesus

Leon Everette was born in Aiken, South Carolina. As a small boy, he moved to Queens, New York, where he was raised. In 1968, while serving in the U.S. Navy in Viet Nam, Leon entered and won a Navy-sponsored talent contest. This was the beginning of Leon’s music career.

After a move to Ward, South Carolina, Leon formed a part-time band and started playing locally in the Augusta, Georgia, music scene. After repeated trips to Nashville, he landed a job in the mail room at True Records. Leon then partnered with Carroll Fulmer of Orlando Records, which led to his first record to make the Top 10 on the Billboard Country charts: “Over.”

Leon’s success with “Over” led to a recording contract with RCA Records in 1980. There, he garnered 11 straight Top 10 records and began earning producer credits in many of his recordings.

One of those songs, “Hurricane,” peaked at #1. That song was so popular in Louisiana that Leon served as the Grand Marshal of Mardi Gras.

Leon’s popularity led to his being the first country artist ever to perform in Italy. He was nominated for the Academy of Country Music’s New Male Vocalist of the Year in 1981. He scored one of the biggest-selling records of 1983 with “Give Me What You Think Is Fair,” and his band Hurricane won Traveling Band of the Year in 1983. Leon also was one of the first country artists to perform at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

​To many fans, Leon Everette’s strongest attribute was his high energy during live performances. A Leon Everette concert seemed to have all the energy of a “Hurricane.” Leon was never one to stand around, strum a guitar and simply sing. In the mid-1980’s, suffering from burnout, Leon retired from the music business and moved back to South Carolina, where he launched several business enterprises.

In 1997, Leon came to know the Lord Jesus Christ. He has since devoted his life to the Lord and his church. Leon and his lovely wife Diane are mainstays at Faith Community Fellowship Church, located in Aiken, South Carolina.

Much to the delight of those who loved his country music hits, Leon has started performing and recording country-gospel music in his own recording studio The Tool Shed with many of his musician friends. All are dedicated to spreading God’s word through music. These days, Leon is using the talent and energy that he poured into his country music career to uplift and praise God.

​In 2016, Leon was invited back to Nashville by a former friend and business colleague, Jimmy Adams, and award-winning songwriter Little David Wilkins. Little David had just written a gospel song, “I Stand the Tallest When I’m Down on My Knees.” The great mind of Jimmy Adams thought this would make a phenomenal hit by pairing Little David and Leon together to record this song. This led to a management deal with Jimmy Adams & JAM Social Media Group.

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In 2017, Leon was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, Tennessee, alongside Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and other stars of this uniquely American music form.In 2017

Thanks to Jimmy Adams, Little David Wilkins & the JAM Team media specialists, Leon has now taken off on his second career. You can watch Leon’s videos and his label-mate’s videos on iTube247. You also can hear Leon’s music on traditional country radio stations and gospel music stations. 

​Leon says, “Now I’m having more fun with Jesus in my band.” To find out how to bring Leon’s music ministry to your town or your church, visit our EVENTS page.