Ted Leonard (musician)
| Ted Leonard | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Blues, Canadian blues, blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, guitarist |
| Instruments | Electric guitar |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Associated acts |
Fathead Kendall Wall Band Maple Blues Revue The Hogtown All Stars Robin Banks Band David Vest and the Willing Victims |
Ted "Teddy" Leonard is a Canadian blues musician, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. He is best known for his long standing association with the Canadian blues band Fathead and has been a working professional musician since 1977.
Leonard was born in Toronto into a musical family, and was one of eleven children. His mother a veteran singer over 25 years in the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and his father was three years a drum major at De La Salle College Catholic Secondary School, which was renamed to De La Salle College. Leonard's parents offered for him to take music instruction which he declined as he did not want to play to a set form of music curriculum, he wanted to play the music of his choice. Norm, his brother would loan him his first guitar, a Kay Archtop.
After sitting in with a group of professional musicians at a matinee jam in London, Ontario, was the first time Leonard wanted to pursue a career as a professional musician. In the outset, he performed with a local band called Soul Sausage then later became the sideman for Juno Award winner, Morgan Davis. Leonard has shared the stage with BB King, Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko of The Band and played a tour with blues musician Colin Linden.
In the late 1980s after filling in many times for guitarist Mike McKenna, Leonard joined as the guitarist for the Kendall Wall Band, providing him the experience of performing with a house band at the Black Swan in Toronto, Ontario. This created the opportunity to perform with some of the well respected in blues music in Canada and Internationally. The Kendall Wall Band arrived at a time when it was a crucial period for blues music in Canada, let alone in the city of Toronto. They provided upcoming musicians the opportunity to perform with a working band then, when International and Canadian blues musicians came to town to play the Black Swan they had the Kendall Wall Band backing them up. Teddy performed with blues musicians from Canadian and International destinations on the short list such as Eddie Shaw, Carey Bell, Fenton Robinson, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Snooky Pryor, Big Jay McNealy, Honkin' Joe Houston, Phil Guy, Johnny V Mills and Cash McCall.
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