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Artist
Deke Leonard
12+ albums
Progressive rockwelshbluesrockprog
about
Roger "Deke" Leonard (18 December 1944 – 31 January 2017) was a Welsh rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business." Best known as a member of the progressive rock band Man, which he joined and left several times, and for fronting his own rock and roll band Iceberg, which he formed and disbanded several times, he was also an author, raconteur and television panellist. Leonard was born in Llanelli, South Wales. He formed his first band Lucifer and the Corncrackers in 1962, with Mike Rees (vocals), Geoff Griffiths (drums) and Clive "Wes" Reynolds (bass), whilst still at Llanelli Grammar School, choosing his stage name from "Deke" Rivers, Elvis Presley's role in his second film Loving You. Leonard left school to work for a building contractor, which he left to avoid being fired, so became a full-time musician. The Corncrackers ran their own club, the "L" Club, featuring themselves and other local musicians, whilst also playing support to acts such as Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and The Hollies at a rival venue. When Rees left they continued as a trio, Keith Hodge then replaced Griffiths, but when Reynolds left to join the South Wales band The Jets, The Corncrackers broke up. Leonard also joined The Jets, on keyboards, but preferred playing guitar, so reformed The Corncrackers with additional guitarist Brian Breeze, before replacing Vic Oakley as bass player in The Blackjacks, with whom he toured US bases in Europe. On his return, he rejoined The Jets, with Tony
