13 Facts About Leonard Feather

Leonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.

Leonard Feather learned to play the piano and clarinet without formal training and started writing about jazz and film by his late teens.

At the age of twenty-one, Leonard Feather made his first visit to the United States, and after working in the UK and the US as a record producer finally settled in New York City in 1939, where he lived until moving to Los Angeles in 1960.

Leonard Feather was co-editor of Metronome magazine and served as chief jazz critic for the Los Angeles Times until his death.

Leonard Feather made a significant contribution to the development of jazz broadcasting in Britain, first devising three Evergreens of Jazz programmes broadcast in August and September 1936, using George Scott-Wood and His Six Swingers.

Leonard Feather's Swing Time, which was first broadcast National Service in January 1937, probably derived its programme title from the 1936 American RKO musical film, songs from which were featured in BBC gramophone recitals several times in December 1936.

Leonard Feather wrote the regular 'Tempo di Jazz' column in the Radio Times in the mid-1930s.

Leonard Feather organized the first Carnegie Hall jazz concerts, the only two jazz concerts at the original Metropolitan Opera House.

Leonard Feather wrote the lyrics to the jazz song "Whisper Not", which was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald on her 1966 Verve release of the same name.

In 1984, Leonard Feather was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

Leonard Feather's archives are part of the International Jazz Collections at the University of Idaho Library.

Leonard Feather died from complications of pneumonia in Encino, Los Angeles, California, at the age of 80.

Leonard Feather was the father of lyricist and songwriter Lorraine Feather.