Gerry Leonard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerry Leonard
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Leonard with Spooky Ghost in 2023.
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| Born | February 26, 1962 Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
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Gerry Leonard (born February 26, 1962) is a talented guitarist from Ireland. He is famous for his unique guitar sound, which often creates a dreamy, atmospheric mood. Gerry has worked with many well-known musicians like David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, and Laurie Anderson. He also has his own music project called Spooky Ghost. Today, he lives in New York.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Gerry Leonard grew up in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. As a teenager, he loved playing in bands. He was inspired by different kinds of music, from Led Zeppelin to punk and post-punk. He also listened to whatever popular songs were on Top of the Pops.
One of his first jobs was working with recording tapes at Lombard Sound Studios. There, he even helped record a first song collection, called a demo tape, for a young 16-year-old singer named Sinéad O'Connor.
Gerry Leonard's Music Career
Gerry Leonard is not just a guitarist; he also helps other artists make their albums. This is called being a record producer. He has worked on albums for singers like Donna Lewis and Ari Hest.
The artist Laurie Anderson praised Gerry's work on her album L'Oeuf. She said she always loved his "lush and groovy" guitar parts. This means his guitar playing made the music sound rich and cool.
Music for Movies and Plays
Gerry Leonard has also created music for films and theater shows. His guitar playing can be heard in movie scores like The Deep End and Bee Season. He also contributed to the soundtrack for CrissCross.
He wrote all the music for the Irish movie 32A, directed by Marian Quinn. He also worked on Quinn's shorter film Come To in 1998. Gerry has also helped with music for plays by Duncan Sheik, including Whisper House.
Working with David Bowie
Gerry Leonard worked a lot with the legendary musician David Bowie. He played guitar on Bowie's studio albums Heathen (2002), Reality (2003), and The Next Day (2013).
Gerry also toured with Bowie for the Heathen and Reality tours. He was even the musical director for the Reality tour, which means he helped lead the band. On Bowie's album The Next Day, Gerry is credited for helping write two songs, "Boss of Me" and "I'll Take You There." This is a big deal, as he was the only other person to have writing credits on that album besides Bowie.
Gerry first met David Bowie through a producer named Mark Plati. Gerry was great at playing the unique guitar parts from Bowie's older songs. These were parts that were originally played by other famous guitarists like Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew. Gerry's first live show with Bowie was in 2002. They played the entire Heathen and Low albums at the Roseland Ballroom.
Spooky Ghost: Gerry's Solo Project
Creating His Own Sound
Gerry Leonard has his own music project called Spooky Ghost. This name came from a friend, Donal Coughlan, who used it to describe Gerry's unique guitar sound.
Gerry worked on the first Spooky Ghost album from 1996 to 1998. He recorded it right in his apartment in New York City. This album, also called Spooky Ghost, was all about exploring ambient guitar sounds. These are sounds that create a calm, atmospheric feeling.
The Light Machine and Live Shows
A second Spooky Ghost album, The Light Machine, came out in 2002. For this album, Spooky Ghost became a trio. Gerry was joined by Jay Bellerose on drums and Paul Bryan on bass and keyboards. These two musicians had also helped on the first album. This trio is the band that plays live shows.
David Bowie himself loved The Light Machine. He called it "Quite the most beautiful and moving piece of work I have possessed in a long time." Music critic Frank Goodman also said it was a "sonically brave, and innovative, and challenging" album. He felt it helped people hear music in a new way.
Discography
Albums
- Hinterland – Kissing the Roof of Heaven (1990)
- Hinterland – Resurrect (1992)
- Spooky Ghost – Spooky Ghost (1998)
- Spooky Ghost – The Light Machine (2002)
- Spooky Ghost – Official Bootleg (2004; recorded live at The Chance, Poughkeepsie)
- Spooky Ghost – Official Bootleg, Volume 2 (2015; recording at Rockwood Music Hall, New York City)
- Spooky Ghost – Viral Times, Volume One (2020)
- Spooky Ghost – Viral Times, Volume Two (2020)
Singles
- Hinterland – "Dark Hill" (1989)
- Hinterland – "Desert Boots" (1990)
- Hinterland – "Resurrect" EP (1992)
Images for kids
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Leonard with Spooky Ghost in 2023.
