Alan Leatherwood
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Although it doesn’t seem that long, Alan Leatherwood has actually been knocking around the music business and on its fringes since 1962, when he recorded his first record (“Hickory Dickory Dock” as “Lane Cassaro”) for the Mahalo label out of Honolulu, Hawaii. During the mid Sixties, he recorded a single for OLD TOWN RECORDS (“Make Believe” and “Pretty Girl You’re Lying”) under his real name of “Alan Cassaro”, although it was misspelled on the label as “Alan Cassero”). Both of the early singles were in the Tex-Mex Buddy Holly style, because rockabilly music was Alan’s favorite music to sing at the time. However, during the 60s and 70s he had a folk/rock duo called “Leatherwood and Lisa. They were the “house act” at the old Faragher’s Folk Club in Cleveland, as well as frequent performers at the old La Cave. As much as Alan loves to sing and play, he has always considered himself to be a songwriter first, and a singer second. Al studied all the popular writers and musical styles – Country, Rock, Pop, Folk, Tex-Mex, and Rockabilly. His goal was to become a good writer in all these genres, and over the years he has written and produced several hundred tunes, either by himself, with his groups, or with other performers. Alan also has a scholarly knowledge regarding the history and sociology of roots music, and at one time, he was the primary consultant for a college course on rock and roll that was taught at Case/Western Reserve in Cleveland by Professor John Goldman, who had taken over the class after Bill Randle decided to give up teaching. (Bill Randle was the popular Fifties disc jockey who first introduced Elvis Presley to the national television audience on the old Tommy Dorsey show in 1956, as well as the same person who produced the classic hit record “LITTLE DARLING” by the Diamonds.)
Alan believes that it is important for an artist to be in control of his own music. He has his own publishing company, House of Leatherwood BMI. Some of Alan’s songs have been included in a movie (“COUNTRY MUSIC”, starring Marty Robbins) and albums (including the hit album by the HUMAN BEINZ, “NOBODY BUT ME”). During the Seventies, Alan had songs published by companies in Nashville owned by various artists, such as Charlie Rich (where Alan also resided as a staff writer), Marty Robbins, and Waylon Jennings. He performed at the The old Ryman Grande Ole Opry for a segment that was included in the motion picture “Country Music Story” starring Marty Robbins. Several of his songs have received awards from Billboard Magazine.
During the last six years, Alan has released 6 CDs, mostly with a strong nod to roots rock and roll, Tex- Mex, Rockabilly, Folk and Pop. Three of the albums consisted of new performances and songs, and three of them were compilations of his earlier recordings. Those albums are all available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alanleatherwood. This fan page has been created in order to upload some rare songs and performances by Alan that are not available on his albums, and possibly a place to have some more interaction with fans of his music.
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