He is bass guitarist, singer-songwriter and film composer born Leland Bruce Sklar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who grew up in Southern California and today is known for his trademark long beard.
His start in music came when he began playing the piano when he was five years old and it remained the instrument he wanted to concentrate on right up until he was in secondary school. This changed when he was allowed the option to study the bass and this opened the door for him in many ways. He took further studies in music at California State University and while there he met up with James Taylor who asked him to play at some of his gigs. It turned out that he would continue performing with him as his records were starting to become hits and it followed that Lee would also start gaining recognition.
Artists began to notice him more and more and soon he was much in demand as a session musician and in the 1970s became part of the group The Section which included the drummer Russ Kunkel, who he worked frequently in the studio with.
A prolific recording musician, he has worked with artists such as Air Supply, America, Hoyt Axton, Carole Bayer Sager, Laura Branigan, Stephen Bishop, Clint Black, Sarah Brightman, Eric Carmen, Kim Carnes, Joe Cocker, Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, Dion, Thomas Dolby, Donovan, The Doors, Randy Edelman, Yvonne Elliman, Mimi Farina, Vince Gill, Don Henley, Roger Hodgson, Jim Horn, Julio Iglesias, Lisa Loeb, Lyle Lovett, The Manhattan Transfer, Reba McEntire, Bette Midler, Giorgio Moroder, Aaron Neville, Randy Newman, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Helen Reddy, LeAnn Rimes, Johnny Rivers, Jennifer Rush, Leo Sayer, Neil Sedaka, Carly Simon, Ricky Skaggs, The Spencer Davis Group, George Strait, Daryl Stuermer, Tanya Tucker, Carlos Vega, Trisha Yearwood and Warren Zevon among many others.
The countless albums he appears on are far too many to mention but include The Pretender by Jackson Browne, Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads by Jimmy Buffett, Hounds of Love by Kate Bush, Bloodline by Glen Campbell, The Higher They Climb by David Cassidy, My World by Ray Charles, No Jacket Required by Phil Collins, Anytime, Anywhere by Rita Coolidge, Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Lovescape by Neil Diamond, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Jive by England Dan & John Ford Coley, Breakaway by Art Garfunkel, All This and Heaven Too by Andrew Gold, Simple Things by Amy Grant, Bigger Than the Both Of Us by Hall & Oates, After Dark by Engelbert Humperdinck, Time for Love by Freddie Jackson, Thoroughbred by Carole King, Apprentice (in a Musical Workshop) by Dave Loggins, Medio Vivir by Ricky Martin, Great Divide by Willie Nelson, Making a Good Thing Better by Olivia Newton John, Feels Like Home by Linda Ronstadt, To Love Again by Diana Ross, Forward Motion by The Section, Shaman by Santana, Endless Flight by Leo Sayer, Atlantic Crossing by Rod Stewart, Love Like Ours by Barbra Streisand, The Wanderer by Donna Summer, Mud Slide Slim & The Blue Horizon by James Taylor, Symphony or Damn by Terence Trent D’Arby, Escapology by Robbie Williams. Busy in film and television studios his work can be heard on shows such as Knight Rider, L.A. Law and The Rockford Files and in the movies Ghost, Forrest Gump and My Best Friends Wedding to name a few.
Since 2007 he has been a touring member with Toto covering for Mike Porcaro who sustained a hand injury.
Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams recordings
Emotion (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb)
S CBS 6164B (UK 45)
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