Conrad Leonard
Encyclopedia
George Conrad Leonard was a British
composer
and pianist
. He was born in South Norwood
.
Leonard served in the Middlesex
Regiment during the First World War; he left the army in 1919 with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant
. Leonard then studied music at the Guildhall School of Music, and he subsequently toured the country as a professional musician.
From the 1930s, he performed with stars like Fred Astaire
, Cole Porter
and Gracie Fields
. He composed over 400 ballads; the most famous being "My Love is Only For You" (1946) and "I heard a Robin singing" (1948).
During the Second World War, Leonard joined Laurence Wright, a music publishing firm, as an arranger
- a position he held until 1969.
He continued to be an active musician into his extremely old age. When he was 99 years old, his doctor advised him to "ease up a bit", and he accordingly cut his engagements to 75 per year.
Until the age of 103 years, he played the piano every Thursday at lunchtime in the Plantation Cafe at Squire's Garden Centre in Twickenham
.
In 1999, Leonard was given the Golden Badge Awards by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. He was born in South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
.
Leonard served in the Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
Regiment during the First World War; he left the army in 1919 with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. Leonard then studied music at the Guildhall School of Music, and he subsequently toured the country as a professional musician.
From the 1930s, he performed with stars like Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
, Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
and Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
. He composed over 400 ballads; the most famous being "My Love is Only For You" (1946) and "I heard a Robin singing" (1948).
During the Second World War, Leonard joined Laurence Wright, a music publishing firm, as an arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
- a position he held until 1969.
He continued to be an active musician into his extremely old age. When he was 99 years old, his doctor advised him to "ease up a bit", and he accordingly cut his engagements to 75 per year.
Until the age of 103 years, he played the piano every Thursday at lunchtime in the Plantation Cafe at Squire's Garden Centre in Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
.
In 1999, Leonard was given the Golden Badge Awards by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
See also
- Veterans of the First World War who died in 2003Veterans of the First World War who died in 2003The following is a list of known veterans of the First World War who died in 2003.-Australia :-Austria-Hungary/Czechoslovakia :-Barbados :-Belgium :-Canada :...