David Leaf
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Producer
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. ###
