Leroy Leon Pendarvis, Jr. (born 1945) is an American session musician and keyboardist best known for his association with the Saturday Night Live Band, where he has served as its pianist, organist, Musical Director and Conductor since 1980. He is also a backing vocalist and an occasional guitarist.
Early life The son of a second-grade primary school teacher and a school principal, Pendarvis grew up in North Augusta, South Carolina. His father was a deacon at the church and his mother, in addition to teaching, was also pianist at their church. The young Leon graduated from climbing up on the piano bench to hit the keys to being taught by his mother. He also learned to play trumpet and saxophone. He also was a bass player when he came to New York.Southeast Missourian, Monday, March 29, 2010 - Talking Shop with Leon Pendarvis
Personal life
Pendarvis attended North Carolina Central University where he met and married Emily Norman. They had a daughter, Emile in 1966. After their divorce, he moved to New York and he met and married Janice Gadsden. They married some time after she moved in with her cousin Andrew Gadsden, who was Pendarvis's roommate.PopMatters, 21 Dec 2016 - INTERVIEWS, A Sage Among Singers: An Interview With Janice Pendarvis By Christian John Wikane (Where in the timeline did Janice Gadsden become Janice Pendarvis?)
Later, he married former Los Jovenes del Barrio singer Jillian Armsbury,Onda Carolina - Jillian Armsbury (1962-2009): Pioneer of Charanga R&BAllMusic - Jill Armsbury, Credits who died in January 2009 from mesothelioma.Herencia Latina - Jillian (1962 – 2009), Por Eric E. GonzálezIt's About Time - Tribute to Jillian Armsbury, Children of Struggle By Chuck Armsbury
He married Josephine Deleon in 2018.
Pendarvis is a board member for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.Curemeso.org - Meso Foundation Announces New Board MembersRelationshipscience.com - Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Inc.
Career Pendarvis played keyboards and provided the backing vocals for Richard Roundtree's 1972 album, The Man from Shaft.Discogs - Richard Roundtree – The Man From Shaft Along with Janice Gadsden, he co-wrote "Sing a Happy Song" for Taj Mahal. He also produced the song which was released in 1978.45Cat - Taj Mahal - Discography, USABillboard, 11 Feb 1978 - Page 64 Billboard's Top Single Picks, Soul, recommended
He composed, recorded and mixed the original dramatic music for the music video "BAD" by Michael Jackson.IMDb, Michael Jackson: Bad, Full Cast & Crew
By 2014, Pendarvis has been with the Saturday Night Live Band, playing keyboards for over 40 years and is the longest serving member with the outfit.Southeast Missouri State University News, April 4, 2014 - SNL Band’s Leon Pendarvis Returns to River Campus
Along with guitarist Larry Campbell, and bass virtuoso Pino Palladino, Pendarvis played on the 2018 Bettye LaVette album Things Have Changed, an album of songs by Bob Dylan which was released on Verve Records.Broadway World, March 9, 2018 - Music News Desk, Soul Icon Bettye Lavette Returns With An Album Of Bob Dylan SongsStereophile, March 6, 2018 - INTERVIEWS, Bettye LaVette: Things Will Change - Robert Baird
Along with Richard Tee, Pendarvis played keyboards on the Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony album, Love Is the Answer which was released on Avco Records in 1974.Discogs - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – Love Is The Answer He also played clavinet and piano on their next album Disco Baby, which contained the massive hit in 1975, "The Hustle".Discogs - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony – Disco BabyBillboard.com - Van McCoy | Chart History, The Hustle, Van McCoy And The Soul City Symphony He played on McCoy's album The Disco Kid, which was released on Avco Records in 1975.Discogs - Van McCoy – The Disco Kid
Artists Pendarvis has worked with over the years include Bonnie Raitt on Streetlights (1974), Van McCoy on Disco Baby (1975), Paul Simon on "Still crazy after all these years" (1975), Barbra Streisand on Songbird (1978), Eric Clapton on August (1986), Don Johnson on Let It Roll (1989), Avril Lavigne on "Keep Holding On" (2006), and many more. He was at one time a member of the group Passion. He is also the musical director and conductor for NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) Band, with which he has played since 1980. Since 1986 he has been a member of The Blues Brothers band. He was the husband of singer and chorist Janice Pendarvis (born Janice Gadsden), who sang for Roberta Flack, Sting, Philip Glass, David Bowie, and the Naked Brothers Band.
References
External links Discogs: Leon Pendarvis Imdb: Leon Pendarvis