“David Leaf is quite simply the best at what he does. No one is more knowledgeable about music and pop culture. His writing, producing skills are superb.”

Ted Harbert, former Chairman NBC, President and CEO of Comcast, Chairman ABC-TV Entertainment

About David

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David Leaf is a Peabody and WGAW award-winning writer, director and producer, the creative visionary behind such critically acclaimed films and festival favorites as Focal Award winner The Night James Brown Saved Boston, The U.S. vs. John Lennon (winner of the Exhibitors’ Award at The Venice Film Festival), the Grammy-nominated Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE, and The Bee Gees: This Is Where I Came In.

As an author, his most recent books are 2025’s SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson and 2022’s God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys & The California Myth.

He directed the feature documentary on the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Dion (Dion: Born To Cry, in post-production), wrote, produced and directed To Tell The Truth, (a film about the WWII Japanese internment camps) and was a consultant for the White Horse Pictures production of Frank Marshall’s HBO feature documentary, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

Leaf’s television credits include being one of the writers on the Emmy-winning landmark 9/11, all-network telethon America: A Tribute To Heroes. That same year, Leaf wrote and produced TNT’s acclaimed An-All Star Tribute To Brian Wilson and was a producer of the Emmy-nominated Billy Joel: In His Own Words (A&E). 

As an author, Leaf is best known for his books for the Grammy-nominated The Pet Sounds Sessions, his groundbreaking Brian Wilson biography, The Beach Boys & The California Myth, writing The Bee Gees, the group’s authorized autobiography, and the Beatles and Beach Boys chapters for Capitol Records’ 50th Anniversary book. 

Since 2010, David Leaf has been teaching undergraduate courses at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in Los Angeles including courses on rock documentary, songwriting, the Beatles, and Brian Wilson & the Beach Boys. 

Selected Work

  • • In Post-Production: Writer/Producer/Director, DION: Born To Cry.

    • Creative Consultant, The 2023 TEC Awards, NAMM.

    • 2019: Consultant, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, HBO.

    • 2019: Writer / Director / Producer, To Tell The Truth, a documentary about how one Japanese-American man’s internment during World War II turned him into an activist.

    • 2019: Writer / Producer / Director, Songwriter/Superstar: A Life In Song. (Series pilot episode featuring Jimmy Webb).

    • 2018: Writer / Segment Producer, The Gershwin Prize, PBS.

    • 2017 Screenwriter, The Geator, the story of the legendary disc-jockey.

    • 2017-2018: Consulting Producer, AMERICAN DREAM: Detroit, 2929 Entertainment.

    • 2017: Writer / Segment Producer, Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Bee Gees, CBS.

    • 2015, Screenwriter, The Big Beat, Shout! Factory, a film about Alan Freed and a government conspiracy to destroy rock and roll.

    • 2014-2020: Creative Consultant, The TEC Awards, NAMM.

    • 2014, Author, The Mick, a stage play about baseball icon Mickey Mantle. (Script approved by estate.)

    • 2012, You Bet Your Life, a screenplay about the last days of Groucho Marx. (Script approved by estate)

    • 2011: Writer / Producer, Sideman.(Pilot episode)

    • 2011: Writer, Buddy Holly: Listen To Me, PBS.

    • 2010: Producer, Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?), Lorber Films.

    • 2009: Producer / Director, Norman Lear’s TV Revolution, Sony.

    • 2008: Director / Producer, The Night James Brown Saved Boston, VH1 / Fremantle. (Focal Award winner)

    • 2007: Writer, We Love Ella! A Tribute To The First Lady Of Song, “Great Performances,” (Quincy Jones, Natalie Cole hosts), PBS.

    • 2006: Writer / Director / Producer, The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Lionsgate-VH1. (Venice Film Festival Exhibitors’ Award.)

    • 2004: Writer / Director / Producer, Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson & the Story of SMiLE, Showtime/BBC. (Grammy nomination)

    • 2004: Writer, MusiCares, Pierre Cossette Productions/NARAS.

    • 2004: Executive Producer, Bette Midler, 2-hour A&E Biography special.

    • 2003: Writer, The Kennedy Center Honors, CBS. (Writers Guild Award, Best Special)

    • 2003: Writer / Producer, The Songwriters Hall of Fame, Bravo.

    • 2002: Programme Consultant, Art That Shook The World, BBC.

    • 2002 Writer, One World Jam: The Concert For Global Harmony, RCE/Tribune.

    • 2001-03: Consulting Producer, Live By Request, A&E (two-hour, single artists episodes starring B.B. King, Bee Gees, David Bowie, Chicago, Elvis Costello, Neil Diamond, Elton John, Hall & Oates, Barry Manilow, and Carlos Santana.)

    • 2002, Writer, Gilda Radner’s Greatest Moments, ABC.

    • 2002, Writer, Grammy’s Greatest Moments, Ken Ehrlich/CBS.

    • 2001: Writer, A Tribute To Heroes,” all-network telethon. (Peabody & Emmy Awards for Best Special, Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing on a Special)

    • 2001: Producer, Billy Joel: In His Own Words, A&E (Emmy nomination).

    • 2001: Writer/Producer, An All-Star Tribute To Brian Wilson, TNT.

    • 2001: Writer, Farm Aid, CMT.

    • 2001: Producer, The Score, a limited series on scoring movies, Trio. (5 one-hour episodes).

    • 2000: Writer /Director / Producer, The Bee Gees: This Is Where I Came In, a two-hour “Biography” special, A&E.

    • 2000: Writer/Director/Producer, The Unknown Peter Sellers, Disney.

    • 2000-2005: Writer / Producer / Director (all for PBS) Sinatra: The Classic Duets, Vintage Sinatra, When I Fall In Love: The One and Only Nat ‘King’ Cole, Dean Martin: That’s Amore, Andy Williams: My Favorite Duets, Rosemary Clooney: Girl Singer, Jonathan Winters: On The Loose, Smart TV: Jack Paar, Bob Hope: The Road To Laughter, The Electric Company’s Greatest Hits & Bits, and Ricky Nelson Sings.

  • • 1999: Producer, Millennium Live...Humanity's Broadcast, MTN.

    • 1999: Writer / Co-Producer, Stevie Wonder MusiCares 'Person of The Year', Pierre Cossette Productions.

    • 1999: Writer, The Emmy Awards, FOX.

    • 1998: Writer / Segment Director / Producer, Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope, Don Mischer Productions, ABC. (Emmy nomination, Best Special).

    • 1996-1997, Producer, The Pet Sounds Sessions, a 4-CD audio documentary (Grammy nomination for "Best Historical Recording").

    • 1992-1996 Segment Producer, Salute To The American Teacher, Disney.

    • 1996: Writer, Champions of Magic, ABC-TV.

    • 1996: Writer, All-Star Countryfest '96, Jeff Margolis Prod., CBS.

    • 1996: Writer, This Is Your Country, A&E.

    • 1996 Segment Producer, Access Hollywood, NBC.

    • 1995: Writer/Producer, You Can’t Do That! The Making of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, Walter Shenson Productions.

    • 1995: Creative Consultant/Historical Consultant, I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times, Palomar Films.

    • 1994: Writer, Carnegie Hall Salutes The Jazz Masters: Verve Records At 50, (Herbie Hancock hosts) PBS' “Great Performances.”

    • 1994: Writer/Segment Producer, Elvis: The Tribute, Polygram, Pay-Per-View.

    • 1994: Director, Lassie: Unleashed, Broadway Video, ABC-TV.

    • 1993, Producer, Good Vibrations, a 5-CD boxed set (1993) (Winner Q Magazine Award)

    • 1993: Writer/Director/Producer, The Unknown Marx Brothers, Disney. (Two part docu-series)

    • 1993: Writer / Segment Producer, The TV Academy Hall of Fame, CBS.

    • 1993: Writer / Co-Producer, MUSIC: Together For Our Children, FlatteryYukich Productions.

    • 1992: Writer, Be Our Guest: The Making of 'Beauty and The Beast', Disney.

    • 1992: Writer/Co-Producer, Martin & Lewis: Their Golden Age of Comedy, Disney. (Three part docu-series)

    • 1992-2001: Writer / Segment Producer, The Billboard Awards, FOX.

    • 1991: Writer. National Public Radio 20th Anniversary show.

    • 1990: Historical Consultant, The History Of Rock 'n' Roll, Time Warner-Telepictures (Ten hours).

    • 1990-1991: Creative Consultant, Big Break, Flattery-Yukich Productions.

    • 1990 Writer: Party Of Five: Family Scrapbook, FOX.

    • 1990 Writer: Beverly Hills: 90210: Our Favorite Memories, FOX.

    • 1990: Writer, The Producers Guild Awards,” Steve Binder Productions.

    • 1989-1990: Writer, The Party Machine, Paramount TV.

    • 1988-1989: Writer, The New WKRP and The New Leave It To Beaver (Staff writer, two seasons).

    • 1988: Creative Consultant, Warner Brothers Records.

    • 1986-1988: Writer / Co-Producer, Salute to the American Songwriter, Ken Ehrlich Productions, VH-1.

    • 1987: Producer, "A&M Records: A 25-Year Retrospective" museum exhibition

    • 1986: Writer, The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together, ABC.

    • 1985-1988: Researcher/Segment Producer, Solid Gold, Paramount

    • 1980-1999: Writer, The Vision Awards (hosted by Vin Scully).

  • • Writer, The Making of ‘Pet Sounds’, (1997)

    • Contributing Editor, Wrote chapters on the Beatles and the Beach Boys for Capitol Records 50th Anniversary book (1992).

    • Managing Editor, A&M Records: The First 25 Years book.

    • Researcher/Editor, Live TV: Producing & Directing, a textbook published by Focal Press in association with the DGA

    • Author, Kiss: Behind The Mask

    • Author, The Bee Gees: The Authorized Autobiography

    • Author, The Beach Boys & The California Myth

    • Liner Notes Writer, (1986-2002) Author of liner notes for more than two dozen CDs including Pet Sounds.

  • • Peabody Award

    • WGAW Award

    • "Q" Magazine Recorded Music Award (1990 & 1993)

    • Exhibitors’ Award, Venice Film Festival, 2006

    • Focal Award (2007 & 2008)

    • Two Emmy® nominations

    • Two Grammy® nominations

  • • ASCAP

    • Author's Guild

    • ATAS (Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)

    • NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences)

    • Producers Guild of America

    • Rock And Roll Hall of Fame (Voter)

    • Society of Professional Journalists

    • WGAW (Writers Guild of America, West)