Deke Leonard
b. Roger Leonard, Wales. A veteran of a small, but thriving, Welsh beat group scene, Leonard was a member of Lucifer And The Corncrakers, the Jets, the Blackjacks, the Jets (again), the Smokeless Zone and the Dream prior to replacing Vic Oakley in the Bystanders in 1968. Concurrently, this close-harmony group had decided to pursue a more progressive direction and became Man on the newcomer's arrival. Influenced by Mickey Green of the Pirates and Bo Diddley, Leonard's guitar work and compositional skill was crucial in their evolution from concept album acolytes to free-flowing improvisers. He left the group in 1972, following the release of LIVE AT THE PADGETT ROOMS, PENARTH and immediately recorded an impressive solo album, ICEBERG. This inspired the formation of a permanent group which coincidentally supported Man on tour, but a disappointing second album, KAMIKAZE, doomed the project. Leonard subsequently rejoined his former colleagues, where he remained until their break-up in 1976. The guitarist completed a third album in 1981 and has continued to pursue a career in less fashionable enclaves, both as a solo attraction, and as a member of the reformed Man. In the early '90s, Deke additionally turned his hand to journalism, writing album reviews for VOX.