Biography

David Leaf is an award-winning writer/producer/director best known for his work on acclaimed pop culture programs, music specials and retrospectives. Perhaps most notably, his credits include being one of the Emmy-nominated writers on the landmark all-network telethon America: A Tribute To Heroes, five years as a profile producer/director for Disney's Salute To The American Teacher and writing and directing the filmed segments for Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope [ABC], helping the program earn an Emmy-nomination for "Best Variety Special". Among his recent productions are The Songwriters Hall of Fame [Bravo], The Score [Trio], An-All Star Tribute To Brian Wilson [TNT], the Emmy-nominated Billy Joel: In His Own Words [A&E], The Bee Gees: This Is Where I Came In [A&E], You Can't Do That: The Making Of 'A Hard Day's Night, Martin & Lewis: Their Golden Age of Comedy and The Unknown Marx Brothers [The Disney Channel], Lassie: Unleashed [ABC], Bob Hope: The Road To Laughter, Sinatra: The Classic Duets, Jonathan Winters: On The Loose and Dean Martin: That's Amore [PBS]. He also serves as consulting producer for A&E's Live By Request series, and for two seasons was a staff writer on the sitcom, The New Leave It To Beaver [TBS Superstation], In the world of television variety, he has written for such network specials as "The Kennedy Center Honors" [CBS], "Farm Aid" [CMT], "Carnegie Hall Salutes The Jazz Masters" [PBS], "Gilda Radner" [ABC], "The Billboard Awards" (nine years) [Fox], "The Television Academy Hall Of Fame" [NBC], "The Creative Arts Emmy Awards" [Fox] and "Elvis: The Tribute" [ABC]. Leaf was an historical consultant on Time-Life's "The History Of Rock 'n' Roll" and for three years, he wrote and co-produced "The Salute To The American Songwriter" as well as the limited series, "The Spirit Of Rock `n' Roll." As an author, Leaf has written three biographies (including the best-selling authorized biography of the Bee Gees and the ground-breaking Brian Wilson biography, The Beach Boys & The California Myth). In association with the Director's Guild of America, he conducted dozens of interviews for a textbook called Producing & Directing Live TV. Leaf also edited a book-length history of A&M Records and wrote the Beatles and Beach Boys chapters for Capitol Records 50th anniversary book. Among his record industry credits are liner notes for the award-winning re-issues of "Pet Sounds" and the "Good Vibrations" box set, which he co-produced. He also wrote the books for and produced "The Pet Sounds Sessions" box set, for which he received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Historical Recording." Leaf has won the "Q" Magazine Recorded Music Award (1990 & 1993) twice. Of note, Leaf is a member of such nationally prestigious institutions as the Writers Guild, Authors Guild, Society of Professional Journalists, NARAS, ATAS, ASCAP and is a voter for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ###

- IMDb mini biography by: Sigmund Easton