Deke Leonard passes away

Deke Leonard has died, I saw him play many times with MAN and Iceberg, a great guy, always had time for people. Another favourite of my youth has gone.
R.I.P. Deke


DEKE Leonard, author, raconteur, and guitarist of legendary Welsh band Man, has died at the age of 72.

The Llanelli-born musician, who had recently returned to live in the town with long-time partner Mary, made his name with the South Wales rock band who performed a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, and blues, and were renowned for their extend jams during live performances.

But he also formed his own critically-acclaimed band, Iceberg, of which John Lennon was reportedly a fan.

In recent years, Son of Man, featuring some of the group's original members and their offspring, had continued the tradition, most recently in The Garage in Uplands last December, in which Deke joined them on stage.

George Jones, son of fellow Man guitarist Micky Jones who died in 2010, regularly played alongside Deke in Son of Man.

He said: "He played his last gigs with Son of Man, and he was playing great, and singing great, and feeling positive.

"He was saying he wanted to do something this year with Iceberg, and had been working on material.

"I feel like I have lost a parent. Deke was one of life's gents".

I worked with someone in my first ever job in 1974 who thought Deke Leonard was God - he could bore for Wales about him and Man if you got him started in a pub :hehe:.

RIP to someone who many of those of us of a certain age will remember with a lot of affection.

Man have always been my favourite band, and Deke was so important to their twin guitar sound. Now we've lost birth him and Micky Jones, true legends if th Welsh rock scene. His books are incredibly funny reads too. RIP Deke.

Oh, no! I went to more Man and Iceberg gigs than I care to remember. So much so that I was nicknamed 'Deke' in some circles'.
I once saw the band in a pub in Swansea before a gig and asked them if I could just buy them all a pint to show my appreciation but not otherwise disturb them. However, they absolutely insisted that I stay and gas with them and they also insisted that I go to the gig with them and get in for free. I had a ticket in my pocket but didn't have the heart to tell them.

I recommend highly Deke's book 'Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics' , which contains some hilarious tales of his (and man's) time on the road. He was a very funny guy.

What a man, what a band!

Thanks, Deke.

BBC Radio Wales ran a series on Saturday Mornings - about 6 or 8 years ago - with Deke.
Just him recounting stories of the road and anecdotes.
It was bloody brilliant! Funny and entertaining. You didn't have to be into Man to enjoy it, it was just good.
They ought to repeat it.

Thanks for "serving a life sentence in the music business." Deke and making Man ours ,still remember all those welsh flags flying high at Reading Festival, RIP .

"I like to eat bananas, cos they got no bones"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maxim

"I like to eat bananas, cos they got no bones"

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Deke used to write programme notes in free handouts at Man gigs. Pen pictures of fellow band members included such comments as 'Once spat at the Slack Shack in Basingstoke' and 'Knows how to be mean with a bottle of Dettol'.

I went along to many of their gigs. Great fella and great band.

Man were/are my favourite band. Deke was also a great bloke and his books are very funny. Micky jones died a few years back, and I think Phil Ryan last year, so now Deke has gone at least i have the LPs and CDs. Man and Deke very underrated by the British media, even in Wales. They were well loved in Germany and the West coast of USA. RIP Deke.