ARTIST Biography Information and Discography: Alan Leatherwood (aka Alan Cassaro) ............... ALAN LEATHERWOOD has been performing and recording since 1959 under various stage names. For his first record release in 1962 on the MAHALO Label, he was known as "LANE CASSARO" (1961-1963. He used his real name for two releases on the INTEGRITY label (1963-1964), and one national release on the OLD TOWN label out of New York City (1965), although OLD TOWN misspelled his name on the record (as "Alan Cassero")   However, "Leatherwood" has been his primary performing name since late 1965,a stage name created by Alan's best friend and co-producer during the Sixties, Bob Scherl.

 Alan was born as Alan Cassaro in Cleveland, Ohio in 1944, and was raised as the son
of a career army officer. He lived through out most of the United States and Europe
during the late Forties and early Fifties. Alan first became interested in singing when he
was pretty young. He was living in Lawton Oklahoma during 1954 and attending
WOODROW WILSON elementary school. Alan's music teacher was so impressed with
his singing, that she invited him to sing a solo during a farewell tribute concert to
country singer Hank Williams, who had recently died. Alan received high praises for his
heart felt performance of "Kawliga", one of Hank's current hits at the time of his death.
Alan was eight years old. As Alan tells it, "My teacher said that I had the loudest voice in
the class, and we didn't use any microphones for the concert. I think that's why she
picked me to sing a solo It was more a matter of volume rather than talent".

In 1953 Alan started taking an interest in the early Rhythm and Blues that Alan Freed
had dubbed "Rock and Roll" and was playing on his nightly radio show, in his home
town of Cleveland. Alan didn't become too serious about it until he heard "MYSTERY
TRAIN" by Elvis Presley played one night in the mid Fifties on an all night radio show.
After hearing Elvis, Al begged his mom, and soon got his first guitar.

Alan has been recording rockabilly and folk music since 1959, as well as every kind of
genre of popular music. His first record was issued nationally under the performing
name of "LANE CASSARO", on the Honolulu based MAHALO records label in 1961, a
Buddy Holly styled rocker titled "HICKORY DICKORY DOCK". In 1963, Al and Bob
Scherl formed INTEGRITY Records, one of the early independent labels operating out
of Cleveland, Ohio. As "ALAN CASSARO", two singles were issued on the INTEGRITY
label ("BLUE LIGHTS"/ "WHY DON'T YOU EVER THINK OF ME") and the follow up,
"GOTTA GET TO MOBILE"/ "SONG OF A FOOL"), with influences such as Del
Shannon, The Ventures, Tommy Allsup, and Rick Nelson blended in to the mix. The
label was deactivated when Bob Scherl was drafted in 1965. Al and Bob have done
numerous projects over the years, and still work together whenever their busy
schedules permit. (each live on different coasts. Al and Bob also produced or worked
with some other Cleveland acts during the Sixties, including THE MISSING LINX,
SHERRY STARLYN and MONA LOWE. The MISSING LYNX had one 45 issued on
one of Bob Crewe's labels. SHERRY STARLYN did a cover version of Alan's song,
"BLUE LIGHTS", and it was released on SUNBURST Records.

During this period, Al did a lot of concerts and shows and shared billing with popular
performers of the period, such as Jack Scott, Tommy Roe, The Ventures, Ray Steven's,
Lo Christie, The Supremes, Chuck Berry, etc..

In early 1965, Alan made a trip to New York City to pitch some of his original songs to
Gene Pitney and his manager, Aaron Schroeder. While remixing a few of his own
demos at Bell Studios, Hy Weiss, of OLD TOWN RECORDS, came into the studio and
introduced himself. After listening for awhile, the cigar chomping Hy Weiss said, "I like
that song. It sounds like a hit. Maybe I could make it hit for you." After talking for awhile,
Hy negotiated for the Master to Al's next planned release for INTEGRITY, and OLD
TOWN Records wound up releasing "PRETTY GIRL YOU'RE LYING"/ "MAKE
BELIEVE". "MAKE BELIEVE" Received a SPOTLIGHT pick of the week in Cashbox
Magazine, which was their highest recommendation for only one 45 per issue.
(Note: The Beatles had an early single out that received a lukewarm rating at the bottom
of the same page in CASHBOX.) Unfortunately for Alan, the BRITISH INVASION and
the flood of new releases from England was about to blow most American performers
off of American radio, and that prevented the record from gaining fair exposure when it
was actually released six months later. ("I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND" by the Beatles
came out at about the same time of Alan's release.) After hearing all of the new English
groups, Alan decided that he'd "already done that" and he turned towards a new
direction he'd been exploring, acoustic folk. His own song writing had been evolving
and the fine song writing styles of Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Eric Andersen, Tim
Hardin, Fred Neil, Hamilton Camp, and a host of others encouraged Alan into taking
the next step in his own musical growth. This was at the very height of the 60s "Great
Acoustic Sixties Folk Scare", so Alan went to a "HOOTENANNY" one night, where he
did some Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, and Gordon Lightfoot songs on the acoustic
guitar. The audience went crazy, and that started a phase that would last for the next 12
years. On the way over to the HOOTENANNY in the car, Bob suggested to Alan, "Italian
Folk singers ain't happening Al, you need a new name, something more 'folkie'
sounding." So, as a joke, and just for that night, Bob dubbed Alan as "LON
LEATHERWOOD", because Bob had seen the name "Leatherwood" on a soldier's
name tag during his own basic training in the army, and he thought it "looked real cool
in print". The "Lon" was because Bob liked "Lon Chaney", the silent movie actor. And
the play of the double "L"s in each word was based on the characters out of
SUPERMAN COMICS (Lana Lang, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Lori Lemur, etc.). It was a
name change for a one night stand in a coffee House in 1965, but that night's
performance turned into a three year gig, because Alan was asked by the owners of
the club if was willing to become the featured house performer. The club was called
FARAGHER'S BACK ROOM, and many national folk artists played there during the
Sixties The "Lon" name was dropped a little bit later when Alan formed his tight
harmony based duo, "LEATHERWOOD and LISA" (1966-1976), but once again, it was
based on the double "L" theme from SUPERMAN comic's characters. (More simply
put, Alan had several "user" names long before the internet came along.) "Lisa" was
actually Patti D Angelo, a young teenager Bob and Al had worked with on a recording
project, where Bob had given her the name of "MONA LOWE and the Crescents".

For the next ten years, LEATHERWOOD AND LISA traveled and performed throughout
the States and Canada at Colleges, Coffeehouses, and clubs. The duo's music drew
from a mix of contemporary folk, blues, rockabilly, the songs of Buddy Holly, Jackie
DeShannon, as well as a lot of originals written by Al. The duo shared billing with a
variety of popular Sixties and Seventies artists. Some of them included Tim Hardin,
The Youngbloods, Blood Sweat and Tears, Hamilton Camp, Bob Gibson, NRBQ, The
Blues Project, Flatt and Scruggs, Marty Robbins, Willie Dixon, Neil Young and Crazy
Horse, Tim Buckley, Jim and Jean, Emy Lou Harris and Gram Parsons, Bobby Bland,
etc. Reviews always complimented them for their own "eclectic" and diverse musical
viewpoint.

When the  FARAGHER'S gig came to an end, because Alan decided that the duo
should move out to Hollywood to try to get a record deal. Within a few weeks of living in
LA, Kim Fowley, producer and writer, arranged an audition with Nik Venet at Capitol
Records. Nik was working with FRED NEIL, The STONE PONIES, and HEDGE and
DONNA, all folk artists. As Alan tells it, "I loved the Fred Neil Records on Capital, and I
specifically went to Hollywood hoping that I would be able to get Nik Venet to produce
us. I still think that the Fred Neil records Nik did have the best audio mixes I've ever
heard, very natural and full. It was just excellent on every level". During this time, Alan
and his singing partner got married. Unfortunately, for unfathomable reasons the deal
with Nik Venet fell through after a year of development. It seems that Capitol wasn't
satisfied with the sales of the Folk records Nik was producing, and they instructed Nik
to curtail any projects that weren't marketable on Top 40 Radio. Fred Neil never made
another record, although those Capital releases are considered to  be among the best
folk albums ever produced today.. Nik took Linda Ronstandt out of the STONE PONIES
and produced a pop hit with her, "DIFFERENT DRUM". HEDGE AND DONNA were
dropped from the label. Discouraged, the duo returned to Cleveland.

However, LEATHERWOOD AND LISA soon wound up touring on the "NATIONAL
COLLEGE CIRCUIT" after auditioning for Fredana Management who had sent talent
scouts to Cleveland in search of talent. The duo gave their audition at LA CAVE, one of
the popular clubs in Cleveland, and the States. Bob Gibson, folk singer, was a part
owner in the club. It can be argued that the folk BOOM of the Sixties was launched as a
result of the work done by PETER, PAUL and MARY and Bob's duo with Hamilton
Camp, GIBSON/CAMP.

Once, while touring college, following an appearance at Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, the duo made the rounds of a few song publishers in town, and were told by
Norris Wilson at Gallico Music, "You guys are great. You ought to move down here, the
town is looking for the kind of talent you have". (Norris not only ran several publishing
companies, but he had also been the backup harmony singer on all of JOHN D.
LOUDERMILK's recordings for RCA.) Remembering their disappointments in
Hollywood, Alan decided not to make the move at that time.

However, several years later the duo eventually made the big move to "Music City"
where they lived for four years, because of an offer from country artist, MARTY
ROBBINS, to come down from Cleveland to record 4 of their songs. "I had sent Marty
some original songs by mail in the hopes that Marty would record them. I wasn't looking
for a deal for us to record as artists. But Marty and Bill Johnson at the company liked
our demos". Marty and Bill produced four songs by the duo, featuring Marty's own
session band (Grady Martin, Buddy Harmon, Bill Purcel, Henry Strzlecki, and Spider
Wilson). After relocating to Nashville, artists like Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, and
Charlie Rich signed on songs written by Alan, for their own respective publishing
companies. Marty Robbins also included the duo in a film he starred in and produced
called "COUNTRY MUSIC STORY", and he invited them to give a guest performance at
the Ryman Auditorium, home of the original "GRAND OLE OPRY." That performance is
included in the film, which was released in 1972 by Universal Pictures. It is their only
filmed performance that still exists today, and it occasionally shows up on various TV
stations around the country. Alan has never seen the movie.

As fate would have it, Marty, who had been negotiating with Columbia for a release of
the session he and Bill Johnson had produced with the duo, had an argument over his
own royalties and contract terms and decided not to renew his contract with the
company, after having recorded for the label for many years. Marty lost interest in
promoting the duo's session to companies, as he scrambled to find a new label for
himself. He signed the session rights over to Alan, and wished him "Good Luck."

On another college tour while performing at Texas Christian University in Lubbock
Texas, Alan had the good fortune to meet Buddy Holly's parents and brother, Larry
Holley. Alan spent the day at Buddy's parents home. Just for the fun of it, Alan sang a
few songs of Buddy's for his parents. This brought tears to Buddy's mothers eyes. She
told Alan, "I hated the movie they did on Buddy. They made it look like we didn't support
Buddy's music. That's not true. I was so disappointed. In fact, I helped Buddy write
'LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LOVE'. I came up with the lines, "Drunk man,
streetcar, foot slipped, there you are".

Buddy's brother went to the closet and pulled out a guitar and said, "Waylon Jennings was in town a few weeks ago and restrung Buddy's old acoustic guitar. It hadn't been played since Buddy's death, and Waylon said, "A great guitar like this should have strings on it". Would you like to play it. You'll be the second person to play it since Buddy died.

Larry later  told Alan, "You know Al, when I listen to you sing, I can hear my
brother singing, Buddy's in you." Alan was flustered  by this statement, and he told Larry, "Larry, I really appreciate that, but I wasn't even doing my Buddy impression, I do a pretty good
imitation, would you like to hear it?" Larry said, "No, no. What I  mean is I can hear
Buddy in your singing. He's in you. I've never heard that from anyone else, none of them.
Lot's of people get the hiccups and the style, but they don't get the feeling. You're just about the
best I've ever heard for capturing Buddy's essence., My brother was real head strong, stubborn, and even a bit of a pain in the butt sometimes. I suspect that you're the same way". Buddy's father had been quiet during this time, but then he said in a quiet voice, "Al, you've got something that Buddy's fans would really like. I've been looking for a project to take to Norman for a few years now, and if you're interested, I would like to take you down to meet Norman Petty in Clovis and see what Norman thinks. Perhaps you could record an album of Buddy's songs that you've been singing here today..

We've had our problems with Norman over the years, but all in all, he
was a good producer and engineer, and he really did help Buddy become successful. Would you be
interested?" Dumb struck by Mr. Holley's reaction and offer, Alan made a snap
decision. "Mr. Holley, I would love to do a tribute album to Buddy SOMEDAY, but right
now I'm working on a deal in Nashville with Monument Records to do my own songs. I
really want to make it on my own first. I've been working a long time to get my career
rolling, and I wouldn't feel right if I did it on Buddy's coat tails". Larry's brother just smiled
and said, "I told you you remind me of my brother. Buddy would have probably said the
same thing". In hind sight,  Alan regrets not taking Mr. Holley up on his offer.  "I was pretty dumb not to accept the offer. Heck, it would have been fun to audition for Norman Petty, even if nothing came of it".

A year later, Mr Holley started working with JOE ELY. "That was such a dumb decision for me to make back then". As Alan explains, "I had the opportunity to do the music I really loved, but I was so
intense and serious about doing my own songs back then. I wasn't having much fun in
Nashville, to be honest. But I was determined to break through that wall and get a deal. I
was just too proud to accept Mr. Holley's invitation".

After many false starts and dead end projects in Nashville, the duo was signed to a
long term contract with the Charlie Rich Organization, as writers, and as artists in
development for recording projects. Henry Strzlecki, who had played electric bass on
the session that the duo had recorded for MARTY ROBBINS, had become the new
head of "TALENT DEVELOPMENT" for the Rich Organization. He played SY
ROSENBERG, Charlie's long time manager and co-owner of the Rich company, and
Sy told him to "Sign em up." In fact, the Charlie Rich Organization sent Charlie's private
plane to Nashville to fly the duo down to Memphis for the signing.

Again, this was not meant to be the big break either. Coinciding with their first
recording session for the company, an event happened that would end their
relationship with the Rich organization, and ultimately, their marriage. This came about
as a result of Charlie Rich showing up drunk at the Country Awards Annual Award
Show, where as "COUNTRY ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR", he was supposed to
present the award for the next year's winner. Jokingly, he lit the envelope on fire, which
announced John Denver as the next year's "COUNTRY ENTERTAINER OF THE
YEAR." Charlie put out the fire, read John's name, and mockingly said, "Hell, he ain't
country." While the show was playing a videotaped acceptance speech pre-recorded
by John Denver, the people who produced the show tried to forcibly drag Charlie off the
stage. During the scuffle, he stabbed someone in the hand with a pencil, which horrified
the audience, which was comprised almost entirely of Nashville executives and
performers. Charlie was forced to go to into an alcohol detox center that night, and
within a few months, the Charlie Rich Organization announced that they were ceasing
all projects, as they attempted to salvage Charlie's career. Sy Rosenberg was fired as
Charlie's manager by Charlie's wife, Margert-Ann Rich. Charlie eventually recovered
from the event, but for all practical purposes, that event marked the end of his
performing career. He never had another major hit, and eventually EPIC dropped him
from the label.

As Alan tells it, "I always loved Charlie Rich's music, but Epic and Billy Sherril had him
grinding out some real schlock, stuff that Charlie didn't enjoy doing. Billy had a strong
tendency to record songs with his artists that other song writers gave him a credit as
co-writer. Charlie drank because of the pressure, he was very introverted, and never
really wanted any fame to begin with. He was incredibly shy. He just loved playing
music, blues mostly, and he was happiest playing it in a small dark lounge somewhere.
Nashville was turning Charlie into a zombie. Charlie loved BeBop and Gospel music. In
fact, he told me that one great song he wrote and recorded for RCA/GROOVE years
earlier, "ROSANNA", was actually meant to be recorded as "HOSANNA", which was a
gospel song. Instead of "Rosanna, back in the arms of my love", Charlie's original
lyrics were, "Hosanna, back in the arms of my Lord." RCA made him change just
those few lyrics, because it wasn't considered "commercial"  if it was presented in the
gospel format. Because of his southern roots, Charlie had always recorded some
occasional country songs as a lark, but it eventually turned into the only kind of music
that EPIC and Billy Sherril would let him record. Actually, EPIC records was about to
drop Rich from the label, where he had been recording without success for several
years. But then, "BEHIND CLOSED DOORS" hit it big for him. He had recorded that
song in one take at the tail end of one of his Epic sessions. Charlie barely remembered
even recording the song, and hadn't given it much thought after doing it. (Johnny
Paycheck had recorded the song first for an album for EPIC, but it was never pulled for
a single release. Charlie's was a cover version of Paycheck's original, which was also
produced by Billy Sherril, Charlie's producer.)

"Personally, I was happy for Charlie when he walked away from the whole show,
although it meant the end of our deal with the company. As it turned out, Charlie went
back to Memphis, I came back to Cleveland. We both gave up on Nashville at about the
same time. I was playing the same game Charlie was playing by trying to write some
kind of Pop/Country Muzak to feed their machine, and it wasn't much fun. The Seventies
wasn't a very good period for country music, but we had just been through the Nixon/
Watergate scandals, and America licked their cultural wounds by embracing Fluffy
country and Disco music. Charlie Rich wasn't just my boss, but he was also one of my
idols. No greater musician, writer, or singer has ever walked the planet. I still feel that
way, and I wish he was still around making new music. He was getting back into it when
he died a few years ago."

Alan also ended his longtime marriage and professional relationship with his partner,
Lisa, who stayed in Nashville to pursue her own career goals. "Too much career stress,
too many bad breaks, two temperamental performers, neither of us were realistic or
mature enough to make the marriage work".

After returning to Cleveland, Alan resumed performing folk music again as a solo, and
as part of the country rock trio, "The Northfork Express" as well as with other musicians
around town. In 1977 on August 16, Elvis Presley died. This was a pivotal event that
convinced Alan that it was time to reevaluate his own goals.

"It made me rethink my entire career up to that point. I remembered that I had an awful
lot of fun by doing music I loved doing. By the time I was professional enough for
Nashville, the only thing I remember anybody behind a desk ever saying to me was,
"You need to write a hit, Al. Forget the rock and roll, this is your day job." It was work,
not fun. I suppose I should have treated my Nashville experiences with some better
sense of perspective at the time, but I just wasn't ready to do business". "When Elvis
died, I took it pretty hard. Elvis was the original reason I started playing music, like most
of us guys from the Fifties. Obviously, by 1977, Elvis wasn't too thrilled with his Las
Vegas career either. But at about that same time, and in the early 80s, punk music was
getting pretty popular, and I had seen the BLASTERS on New Wave Theater on Cable
TV playing traditional rockabilly music. And then the STRAY CATS came along. The
media was calling this 'alternative music'. The stuff was so old, it was new again. The
way I look it, Rockabilly Music IS folk music now. I believe that Elvis' first album even
referred to him as a 'folk artist' in the liner notes. The music that's being played today on
the radio has virtually no connection to the original music that started all of this. It's
pretty negative and synthetic stuff. I feel sorry for the kids today. They have no idea what
they're missing."

Alan launched MOON RECORDS in 1978, with the idea of going back to playing
"Roots" music. Alan later amended the label name to "OHIO MOON", in order to avoid
confusion with Cordell Jackson's reactivated Memphis based MOON label, a label she
had started in 1956. Although her label had actually been out of business at the time
Alan started MOON, Miss Jackson had gotten a career boost from several
appearances on the Dave Letterman show, and she had also done a series of Miller
Beer commercials with the Stray Cats. (Yes, she's the elderly lady who takes a guitar
solo of her own, and "shuts down" Brian Setzer; a very funny commercial) There's also
another MOON label out there associated with Regaee music. "Technically, the label is
now called "OHIO MOON", but we still refer to ourselves as "MOON". I only made the
change to accommodate Cordell Jackson, we had a long talk on the phone after she
contacted me, and she's a pretty cool lady. I haven't seen her on TV in the last few
years, so maybe her career has slowed down a little since then."

Alan still performs occasionally in the clubs around Cleveland, but most of his time
these days is spent in the studio working and writing on numerous projects, not only for
himself, but with the other talented artists and musicians who play on most of his Moon
Projects. "Everybody I work with is a creative universe unto themselves. They're all
really good, and all different. They're pretty weird, and I like that. It keeps me
entertained". The past couple of years, Alan has been compiling material for a series of
CDs he plans to issue and market via the internet. The "Rock, Bop" CD retrospective
is just the first project. Alan has a catalog of over 500 recorded older performances.
Alan stays busy.

"I'm doomed, I guess. Call me 'Retro', but I like the energy I get from playing rockabilly.
A lot of the serious stuff I wrote in the 60s sounds kind of overblown and pretentious
now. I really should have taken up Mr. Holley and his offer, and even he's passed on
now. I don't have any major career goals anymore, the music business is just too
corrupt and twisted to want to be a part of it, and I'm sure as hell not going to do stuff
like KID ROCK. That's the kind of stuff the big labels want to promote now. Still, there's
some good stuff out there, there's always something good if you look hard enough for it.
Chris Isaak's good. Cheryl Wheeler, nice acoustic singer. Lots of good obscure stuff
from the indies.

I'll just be taking on projects I enjoy doing, and if the people like it, MOON RECORDS
will do okay. It'll be strictly roots stuff, some folk, real music by real people. Either way, I
expect I'll be playing music for the rest of my life. You know, you could probably attach
me to a life support machine, and I'd still be able to sing the words to "LITTLE
QUEENIE" by Chuck Berry. This stuff is all part of my nervous system now. The music
has gotten me through my life. It's what's real for me. Anyhow, people in the bars still
like to hear it. My pals all have good bands, and we all have a good time. What else is
there"?
 

(NOTATION:* ) The saddest notation and update in this information biography is that Bob
Scherl died in Los Angeles in February of 1999. He was only 54 years old. Alan and
Bob were in the process of compiling our most recent project together when Bob was
hospitalized with heart failure, which ultimately led to his passing six months later. Bob
Scherl compiled and wrote most of the information contained in these notes. Over the
years, Bob Scherl did pretty well in the music business through his own associations
with Mercury, Specialty, Scepter and Vanguard Records, companies where he ran their
respective national music promotion departments. Bob also worked closely for Ike and
Tina Turner during the Seventies in a management capacity, shepherding their careers
through a major period and Comeback, following the NUT BUSH CITY LIMITS release,
which Bob helped produce. Bob also produced a critically acclaimed Tina Turner
Country album, which was considered a major departure but creative breakthrough for
Tina.

(NOTATION*) Alan's former singing partner, Lisa, went on to record several sides for
Epic and Monument under the performing name of "Patti Leatherwood". Monument
records had intended to issue a single and album by her, following her original first
recording of the song, "YOU DECORATED MY LIFE". As bad luck would have it,
Kenny Rodgers heard her performance of the song, and he said that he would do the
song if he was given the exclusive "first rights" to issue his own version of the song.
Kenny was hot, Patti was not. Monument Records also controlled the publishing, so
they gave the song to Kenny and it became a number one hit. Monument decided not to
issue the album, since Kenny Rodgers had taken their main "plug" song off the album.
Patti gravitated into doing chorus work, and eventually became a regular member in the
performing bands of Crystal Gayle and Waylon Jennings respectively for the next eight
years. Patti left Nashville after Waylon dissolved his band following his open heart
surgery, as well as his last album for RCA. At last account, the rumor was circulating
that Patti was no longer performing, as she had settled down and gotten married to a
hog farmer in upper Wisconsin, a widower with eight children.

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