Patrick Leonard

Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums True Blue (1986), Who's That Girl (1987), Like a Prayer (1989), I'm Breathless (1990) and Ray of Light (1998). He also wrote David Guetta and Rihanna's collaboration "Who's That Chick?". He scored Madonna's 2008 documentary I Am Because We Are, played keyboards with her at Live Aid (1985),[1] and was musical director and keyboardist on The Virgin Tour (1985) and the Who's That Girl World Tour (1987).

Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard during The Virgin Tour
BornPatrick Ray Leonard
(1956-03-14) March 14, 1956
Crystal Falls, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationSongwriter, keyboardist, film composer, music producer
Spouse
(m. 2002; div. 2012)

(m. after 2018)
Children3
Website
instagram.com/patrickleonardofficial

Leonard has worked with a wide variety of artists including late-period Pink Floyd and solo Roger Waters, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Bryan Ferry, Julian Lennon, Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck, Bryan Adams, Peter Cetera, Jewel, Blue October, Duncan Sheik, Michael W. Smith, Marianne Faithfull, and Robbie Robertson. He was half of the art-pop group Toy Matinee with Kevin Gilbert and Third Matinee with Richard Page. He has also acted as composer for a variety of films and stage productions.[2]

Leonard has collaborated with Leonard Cohen, acting as a writer and producer for 2012's Old Ideas and 2014's Popular Problems, and co-writer, co-producer of 2016's You Want It Darker.[3] "Nevermind," a song from Popular Problems that Leonard co-wrote and produced, was featured as the title theme for Season 2 of HBO's True Detective.[4] Cohen remarked that Leonard "is such a magnificent composer. I don’t think there’s anybody working today with those kinds of skills."[5]

In 1997, Leonard released the instrumental album Rivers on his own record label, Unitone.[6]

Leonard has three children: a daughter Jessica, a writer (for whom Madonna's song "Dear Jessie" was written), and two sons, Sean, who is a musician, and Jordan, a projection mapper and VJ under the name Pickels Visuals.

Leonard and Icelandic singer, songwriter Anna Mjöll were married on November 19, 2018, in Patrick's home town, Crystal Falls, Michigan.

Early career

Leonard was born on March 14, 1956 in Crystal Falls, Michigan. He entered the music business with late 1970s Chicago-based pop rock band Whisper, then later the same band membership, Trillion (name changed for legal reasons), featuring future Toto singer Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen on lead vocals. His early career also featured short stints as a keyboardist in Frank Zappa's band in 1976 and The Allman Brothers Band in 1980.[7]

He went on to act as musical director and lead keyboardist for the Jackson Victory Tour in 1984.[8][9]

Influences

"The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall – that's what I grew up with and that's what I dreamed of doing one day," he recalled in 1992. "I was a big Gentle Giant fan. I was a huge Jethro Tull fan. But I had to feed my children and heat my house, so I wrote some songs with a little girl who became extremely popular. It's really that simple."[10]

Work in film and stage

Selected film credits

Selected stage credits

Selected music credits

with Other Artists:

Collaborations

References

  1. Plantier, Boris. "Patrick Leonard remembers his musical memories and his work with Madonna". Yuzu Melodies. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  2. "Patrick Leonard | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. "You Want It Darker - Leonard Cohen's 2016 Studio Album". leonardcohenfiles.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  4. "A History of True Detective's New Theme Song, 'Nevermind'". Vulture. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  5. "Leonard Cohen Corrects Himself: 'I Intend to Stick Around Until 120'". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  6. Rivers, Rounder / Umgd, 1 January 2000, retrieved 10 October 2016
  7. "leonardyowell". leonardyowell. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  8. Benson, Carol; Metz, A. (1999). Madonna the Companion Two Decades of Commentary (metz/benson). Music Sales Group. ISBN 9780857128164.
  9. Plantier, Boris. "Patrick Leonard remembers his musical memories and his work with Madonna". Yuzu Melodies. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  10. Robert Sandall (February 1992). "The song and dance debate". Q: 13.
  11. Ebert, Roger. "At Close Range Movie Review & Film Summary (1986) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  12. Ebert, Roger. "Nothing in Common Movie Review (1986) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  13. "Movie Review - - Review/Film; Some Collegiate Help for a Homeless Zany". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  14. Rissman, Nathan (25 March 2009), I Am Because We Are, retrieved 11 October 2016
  15. "PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIVE". normanseeff.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  16. "'Lullaby' to Feature Music by Patrick Leonard | Film Music Reporter". Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  17. Iscove, Robert (21 November 2006), The Ten Commandments: The Musical, retrieved 11 October 2016
  18. http://www.newyorkcool.com, New York Cool. "New York Cool - Martha Graham Dance Company". newyorkcool.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  19. "Patrick Leonard On Madonna, Part 2: Don't Underestimate Their Point Of View". Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  20. "Pop Sovereign". Retrieved 27 September 2017. lengths that critics will go to in order to not give women credit for their own work
  21. Sandall, Robert (February 1992). "The song and dance debate". Q: 13.

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