Leland Sklar

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Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American electric bass guitarist and session performer.

He was a founder of Asylum Records' de facto house band and was one of the pioneers of the soft rock sound popular on top-40 radio in the 1970s and 1980s.

In addition to appearing on numerous albums by artists such as Jackson Browne, Carole King, Phil Collins, and James Taylor, the Section also published three solo albums of instrumental rock.

Sklar has performed on both in the Section and separately, and has sold over 2,000 albums as a session musician.

He has appeared on television and television shows as a guitarist, singer, and other key rock and pop performers.

Early life

Leland Bruce Sklar was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 28, 1947. His mother's family was from Duluth, Minnesota. His father's family was from Milwaukee. The paternal side of the family's lineage began in Odessa, Ukraine. Sklar is a Ukrainian surname that means glazier, a person whose occupation is fitting glass into windows and doors.

When Leland was four, his family and he moved to Van Nuys, California, a central San Fernando Valley suburb in the northwest area of metropolitan Los Angeles's northwest district.

Sklar was inspired to play classical piano after watching Liberace on TV at five years old. The mother of a Sklar had a baby grand piano in the house even before. The Liberace Exhibition completely captivated young Leland, Liberace's style and panache, as well as his older brother George on the violin. Sklar started playing piano right after turning five years old. He excelled due to his natural talent and passion for the instrument. He had received accolades from the Hollywood Bowl Association as the most outstanding young pianist in Los Angeles for his age group by the time he was seven years old. He was completely burned out by the time he was twelve years old, but by that time he was twelve years old. He had a piano teacher who said he was working out of his inability to work through him.

He began junior high at Birmingham High School, a combined high school for students 7-12, and was led away from the crowded field of pianists by his orchestra coach, Mr. Ted Lynn, to an old blonde Kay upright bass. Sklar embraced it straight and started playing string bass in the orchestra and dance band. Sklar was in the marching band and played bass drum for the first year in high school. He then looked at other options. He was given three choices as a bassist: the bass drum, Sousaphone, or drum major. Sklar has chosen to become one of the world's top drum majors. He was sent to Redlands University for a summer course in being a drum major and designing half-time shows. He still has his baton. Sklar debuted shaving at Birmingham High School in 1965 and stopped shaving, marking his debut in the style of his legendary beard.

Things have dramatically changed dramatically since The Beatles appeared. Sklar's upright bass could not compete with their volume as soon as the guitar players and piano players were amplified. Stein on Vine, the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 building in Hollywood, is now a music store. When it was just the Stein Music Co. Sklar and his father went there, and his father bought him a Melody bass and a St. George amp, it used to be under the Musicians Union. At the time, the whole thing was probably worth $80. Sklar was first getting calls for electric bass jobs soon after.

Sklar attended San Fernando Valley State College between 1965 and 1970 (now called CSUN - Sea Sun - California State University, Northridge). He started as a music major but became disillusioned with the music department after two years, discovering that the curriculum was more geared towards producing music teachers than toward performing. He went to the administration building and took a number of aptitude tests and discovered that his highest aptitudes were in art and science. So, he migrated from co-majors in art and science to those who wanted to become a medical or technical illustrator.

Sklar was in the orchestra while at San Fernando Valley State University. Sklar was an active participant in the string bass section, which featured himself and Daryl Dragon, who would later become Captain of the Captain & Tennille. Sklar was also in a band called Little John Farm with singer/guitarist Denny "Steve" Aaberg, Dennis Dragon on drums, and Doug Dragon on B3 organ. Dennis and Doug Dragon were Daryl's two brothers. Incidentally, Sklar and actor Cheech Marin co-starred in San Fernando Valley State with Tom Scott, the great sax player, and actor/comedian Cheech Marin.

Sklar attended five years in San Fernando Valley State, but he did not graduate because his own music career would have intervened.

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Career

Sklar appeared in many bands in the 1960s, including Mike and the Mad Men, The Brimstones, The Brimstones, and The El Dorados. Sklar performed with guitarist Dan Dugmore, his oldest friend in the music industry, and the Brimstones (1966) are of note. According to Sklar, the music industry is based on networking. Those two other bands from this period were significant to his career: Group Therapy (1967) and Wolfgang (1969).

Group Therapy began recording their album in 1967, but they weren't allowed to play on their own. The band performed their own songs, but the Wrecking Crew's music was recorded. On bass, Carol Kaye and Bobby Weston. Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon, was the percussionist. Mike (Michel) Rubini, Mike Melvoin, and Larry Knechtel were among the keyboard players. Dennis Budimir, Mike Deasy, and others. Sklar said he was threatened by the skills of these people and didn't believe he could do what they did, but three and a half years later, he was working with them every day. Mike Post produced the album. To name a few, Sklar will appear on any one of his TV shows: The Rockford Files, Magnum, P.I., Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, to name a few.

Sklar played bass for a hard rock band led by Bill Graham, including Bryn Haworth, Ricky Lancelotti, Kevin Kelley, Randy Zacuto, and Warren 'Bugs' Pemberton. They opened for Led Zeppelin, but they were unaware of unreleased demo tracks. It was during this time when Sklar, John Fischbach, co-owner of Crystal Sound on Vine Street in Hollywood, welcomed his friend James Taylor to Wolfgang's rehearsal house in Sunland. Taylor spent a few days with the band. Taylor was invited to appear at the Troubadour later that evening, but he remembered Sklar's name, urging Sklar to play bass at the event. Both musicians expected that the job would be short-lived, but Taylor's career began shortly after with his first hit song, Sweet Baby James. Sklar, Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, and Carole King were among Taylor's back-and-forth crews, who joined Taylor in his ascension to fame. Soon, with that exposure, Sklar was invited to perform with several other musicians.

Sklar performed together with drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Danny Kortchmar, and keyboardist Craig Doerge, who resurfaced on King's return to fame, as their section was designated as "The Section." They endorsed other artists, such as Jackson Browne. In 1972, 1973, and 1977, the Section released three rock fusion albums of their own under the heading. However, with no brand recognition, the Section was disbanded in 1978 in favour of more profitable ventures.

Sklar concentrated on session work in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Europe in the 1980s. However, with the onset of CDs and digital copying, album sales decreased and session budgets decreased. Live performances and touring have risen to the forefront of the music industry.

Sklar appeared on Phil Collins' album No Jacket Required and toured with Collins' band on The No Jacket Required World Tour from February to July 1985. Sklar appeared on Collins again on the album...but seriously, Live! The World Tour, which ran from February to October 1990, featured 121 dates. Sklar toured again with Collins on the First Final Farewell Tour (2004–2005) and the Not Dead Yet Tour (2017–2019).

Sklar received a phone call from Michael Frondelli, who was the Barefoot Servants and was recording a band, while recording at The Site in Marin County on what would become Linda Ronstadt's album Winter Light. They needed a bass player, and would he be interested? Frondelli gave Sklar a demo cassette, and after three notes, Sklar said "count me in." Sklar had never met the three other seasoned musicians before: Jon Butcher (Guitar, Vocals), Ben Schultz (Guitar, Mandolin, Slide Guitar), and Ray Brinker (Drums, Percussion). Barefoot Servants, the foursome, rehearsed and cut the first, self-titled album, live in the studio. The band was followed by the Outlaws, who appeared on The Southern Spirit Tour in 1994 with The Marshall Tucker Band, 38 Special, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and The Outlaws. It was called Bubbapolooza by the people who made it. The Barefoot Servants became a cult band over time; the Barefoot Servants brand (Epic) had no support. The Barefoot Servants recorded a second album at Ben Schultz' home studio, this time with Neal Wilkinson on drums. It was referred to as Barefoot Servants 2, which was reminiscent of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" line. (Jon Butcher is a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix.) The album was first released on the Atom Records label in August of 2005.

In a series of six shows at the Troubadour on November 28-29, 2007, Sklar performed again with James Taylor, Carole King, Danny Kortchmar, and Russ Kunkel. In 2010, the three foursomesome friends teamed up again for the Troubadour Reunion Tour.

In 2007-2008, Sklar appeared on the Falling In Between Tour with Toto, filling in for his friend Mike Porro, who was stricken with ALS. On the Toto XIV Tour, Sklar was united again with Toto in 2016-2017.

Sklar has performed with Lyle Lovett, Peter Asher, Véronique Sanson, Tracy Chapman, Van Dyke Parks, and others.

The Immediate Family, featuring Leland Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel on guitars and vocals, and guitarist/producer Steve Postell on guitars and guitars, united several members of The Section in 2018. The group has toured Japan and released a number of albums. The Immediate Family, their first, eponymously named, U.S. album, was released in 2021. In November of 2021, a brief tour of select cities in the United States was conducted.

Sklar began a YouTube channel in 2020, primarily to showcase the bass parts of a few of the songs he'd seen on tour with Phil Collins, but it developed into a journey of music appreciation and an exploration of his expansive career. Everybody Loves Me, a coffee table book containing approximately 6000 photos from a collection of over 12,000 photos of celebrities and everyday people giving him "the finger," Sklar's signature gesture. It was designed and operated a website to sell his book, art prints, T-shirts, and other items. Lee's Clubhouse, a web presence for social interaction, was developed by him. With another web portal, Sklar has also investigated the NFT industry.

Sklar published a Top Ten list of his top ten songs of all time for Spotify on May 6, 2020. They were With A Little Help From My Friends, a band by Joe Cocker, The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gibb The Lark Ascending by Robert Smith, The Lark Ascending by Arthur Price, The Story On Wood by Gene Clark, Before The Lines, 2015 Edition - 2015 Remastered by Phil Collins, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, by Major Lance, and Bob & Earl's No.

Rinat Ibragimov, formerly of the London Symphony Orchestra, has been named as his favorite bassist.

Sklar has also performed in support of the annual bands assembled in Washington, D.C., in support of ASCAP's "We Write The Songs" exhibition, as well as the Grammy Awards' pre-show.

In the CNN documentary "Just Call Out My Name," Sklar was seen in concert with James Taylor and Carole King on January 2, 2022.

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