{"id":425,"date":"2020-04-02T08:22:17","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T07:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jukeboxjury.uk\/geoffleonard\/?page_id=425"},"modified":"2025-04-13T08:39:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T07:39:14","slug":"geoff-leonard","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jukeboxjury.uk\/geoffleonard\/geoff-leonard\/","title":{"rendered":"Geoff Leonard – biography"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Geoff<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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“Geoff Leonard knows more about me than I know myself.”<\/p>\nJohn Barry<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Geoff Leonard is an authority on the works of composer John Barry, and has co-written several books about him. He is also an authority on British TV music and has produced several related albums of TV themes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has co-written sleeve-notes for numerous CDs, including those featuring music by Maurice Jarre, Roy Budd, Ron Grainer, John Barry<\/a> and Adam Faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geoff was born in Bristol<\/a>, England, UK, and educated at Cotham Grammar School<\/a> in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending many years working in the banking industry, in 1990 he produced his first CD, Beat Girl\/Stringbeat<\/a>, by John Barry<\/a>. This was followed by a succession of British TV Theme albums, and albums featuring the works of John Barry, Don Black<\/a> and Ron Grainer<\/a>, all of which were released on his own label, Play It Again<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the early 1990s, Leonard and co-writer Pete Walker worked on their first book, John Barry \u2013 A Life in Music<\/a>, which was published in 1998. They also co-wrote numerous articles for magazines, such as Film Score Monthly, Music from the Movies and 007 Magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Throughout the 2000s, Geoff worked for IMDb.com<\/a>, managing biographies, composers, and the music-department, amongst other tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2008, he and Walker wrote a follow-up book, John Barry: The Man with the Midas Touch<\/a>; in 2018, they co-wrote Hit and Miss: The Story of The John Barry Seven<\/a>; both published by Redcliffe Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windmill Publications<\/em> was set up to enable further books and CDs; and \u2018John Barry \u2013 The Early Years\u2019 is a compilation album focusing on the years 1959-1962, in which every track features a Barry arrangement or composition; \u2018The Stringbeat Years: Songs Accompanied by John Barry\u2019, is a 4-CD box-set comprising of 144 tracks, a 24-page booklet (replete with period photographs and comprehensive notes) and including ten bonus tracks (among them the CD debut of the first ever cover version of a John Barry instrumental composition).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books include \u2018Music by John Barry\u2019 (co-written with Jon Burlingame and originally published by Redcliffe Press), \u2018John Barry\u2019s Music to Watch Bond By\u2019, \u2019The Misadventures of a very Uncivil Servant\u2019, and \u2018Memorable Gloucestershire County Cricket Club Matches: Triumphs, Disasters, and Near Misses: 1940s-1970s\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conjunction with designer Ruud Rozemeijer, Geoff runs a number of websites; subjects include musicians John Barry<\/a>, Adam Faith<\/a>, Ron Grainer<\/a>; and also some for popular UK music shows such as Oh Boy!<\/a>, Thank Your Lucky Stars<\/a> and Drumbeat<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geoff is also omnipresent on Youtube<\/a>, and specialises in videos of steam trains. He is a life member of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club<\/a>, and a keen photographer.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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