Bandleader, arranger, conductor, record producer and trumpeter Joseph J. Leahy was a native of Boston, Massachusetts. He joined the Les Brown Band of Renown at twenty, then the Charlie Barnet

Charlie Barnet

Charles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".-Early life:...

 band and later the Artie Shaw

Artie Shaw

Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....

 band, eventually forming his own orchestra for cross-country tours of ballrooms, hotel circuits, college proms and one-nighters.

Joining the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 in 1941, he headed the forty-man Army Air Force Orchestra of the Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...

, for which he wrote all the arrangements. The orchestra gave weekly broadcasts over CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

.

His other Air Force duties included arranging and conducting for variety shows, half-hour transcriptions, cue music and orchestral works, and a two-year world tour arranging and conducting for troop shows.

Upon leaving the service in 1945 he came to New York and signed with CBS as a staff conductor-arranger, doing script-show music, background music for radio dramas, and conducting the Skitch Henderson

Skitch Henderson

Lyle Russell Cedric “Skitch” Henderson was a pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname reportedly derived from his ability to quickly "re-sketch" a song in a different key.- Biography :...

 orchestra. Just over a year later he began doing freelance arranging and conducting, and for six years thereafter he orchestrated over one hundred radio programs including the longstanding Don McNeil's The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American teen drama film written and directed by John Hughes. The storyline follows five teenagers as they spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they are all deeper than their respective stereotypes.-Plot:The plot follows five students at...

in Chicago, Illinois.

Other radio and television shows for which he did uncredited background music included those for Orson Welles

Orson Welles

George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...

, Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...

 Eddie Cantor

Eddie Cantor

Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...

, Tony Martin

Tony Martin

Anthony or Tony Martin may refer to:Education*Tony Martin , professor at Wellesley College known for racial controversies in the early 1990s.*Donald A...

, Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues.Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Birmingham Bertha",...

, Constance Bennett

Constance Bennett

-Early life:She was born in New York City, the daughter of actor Richard Bennett and actress Adrienne Morrison, whose father was the stage actor Lewis Morrison , a wealthy performer of English and Spanish ancestry...

 and many others.

By 1954, Joe Leahy moved into the record industry by forming his own label, Majar Records, which had an immediate hit: "If I Give My Heart to You

If I Give My Heart to You

"If I Give My Heart to You" is a popular song written by Jimmy Brewster, Jimmie Crane, and Al Jacobs.The most popular versions of the song were recorded by Doris Day and Denise Lor; both charted in 1954. Anne Shelton recorded a version for the UK market, but it lost out to the Day version, as well...

" (Majar 27), arranged and conducted by Leahy and sung by Denise Lor

Denise Lor

Denise Lor is an American popular singer and actress.She was a featured artist on Garry Moore's television show.Ms. Lor was married to and subsequently divorced from TV director and singer Jay Martin, with whom she had sons, Ron and Dennis. They had met when she was singing on The Garry Moore...

. The tune inspired eighteen other cover versions.

Leahy followed up with "Unsuspecting Heart", sung by Terri Stevens; "Green Fire", the song from Desiree, and then he introduced "How Important Can It Be" with Jack Smith

Jack Smith

-In sport:*Jack Smith , 19th century footballer in 1892–1895*Jack Smith , English player with Wolverhampton Wanderers and others* Jack Smith , English international footballer...

.

In 1955 he joined the RKO Unique record label based at 1440 Broadway in New York, which soon had a top-ten hit with "The Man in a Raincoat" sung by Priscilla Wright

Priscilla Wright

Priscilla Wright may refer to:*Priscilla Wright , Playboy centerfold*Priscilla Wright , Canadian singer...

in her first recording.
Joe Leahy's first album was Lovely Lady (LP-106) for RKO Unique.

Though Joe Leahy's music has been nearly forgotten in the 21st century, many of Joe Leahy's albums have recently been re-released on compact discs.

Popular-song and instrumental compositions

• ACROSS MY EYES
• ACT OF CONTRITION
• ALONE IN BARCELONA
• APRIL
• BABY BLUES
• BEYOND THE STARS
• BIRTH OF CHRIST
• BLUE TRUMPET
• BURNT THE ENVELOPE
• BY LOVE POSSESSED
• CHANTILLY
• CLOUD NINE
• CORONET
• DETROIT POLKA
• THE DIXIE ROLL
• FIRST TIME LOVE
• FROM YOUR HEART
• GILLIGAN
• GO AHEAD AND BE A WOMAN
• GOODNIGHT, DREAM BOY
• EL GRINGO
• HAND FULL OF DREAMS
• THE HAPPY SURFER
• HAPPY WEDDING POLKA
• HIGH MIDNIGHT; HOLD ON
• HOLIDAY IN VENICE
• I DON'T MIND
• I'M IN LOVE WITH THE MAN IN A RAINCOAT
• JUST A SANDY HAIRED BOY
• LACERATIONS
• LET'S TAKE IT FROM THE TOP
• LIFE
• THE LITTLE SPINET
• LOOK UP A FRIEND CALLED JESUS;
• LOVE STORY; MARGIN OF ERROR;
• MARY LOU WILSON AND JOHNNY;
• MEXICO HOLIDAY;
• MIRACLE OF LOVE (from A WORLD OF MIRACLES);
• MISUNDERSTOOD;
• MORE THAN ANYTHING;
• MY CATEGORY IS LOVE; MY HIDDEN LOVE;
• MY KINGDOM FOR A KISS;
• NEW OPENING;
• NOAH'S ARK;
• ON THE BOULEVARD;
• OPEN, CLOSE, I DON'T KNOW;
• OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID BLUES;
• A PAIR OF QUEENS;
• THE PROMISED LAND;
• RADIO;
• RUNAWAY;
• SABOTAGE;
• SAY GOODNIGHT;
• SILVERPLATE SHUFFLE;
• SO ALIVE; A STAR IN THE EAST (from A WORLD OF MIRACLES);
• STOP AND THINK;
• THE STORY OF JAMES DEAN;
• THEME FROM STUDIO X;
• SUN VALLEY MOON;
• SUNSHINE RAIN; SWISS HOLIDAY;
• TABASCO ROAD;
• TELL ME YOU'RE IN LOVE;
• TEN COMMANDMENTS;
• THERE'S A DREAM IN MY HEART
• THINGS I SHOULDN'T KNOW
• THINK LOVE
• THIRTY THREE YEARS (from A WORLD OF MIRACLES)
• TWICE AROUND THE ISLAND
• TWO HEARTS; WARM RAIN
• WIDE IS THE GATE
• THE WONDERFUL TEENS
• WORLD OF MIRACLES (title song)
• WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT
• YOU AND YOUR LOVE
• YOU GO I GO;
• YOUR HERO.