David Leaf is an award-winning writer, director and producer, whose feature credits include the Venice Film festival favorite The U.S. vs. John Lennon, the Grammy-nominated Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE, The Night James Brown Saved Boston, and Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is 'Everybody Talkin' About Him?). As well as publishing the seminal The Beach Boys and the California Myth in 1978, David wrote the Bee Gees' authorized autobiography. Leaf is also a professor at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in Los Angeles, where, since 2010, he has been teaching courses in rock documentary, songwriting and the Beatles.
'David Leaf's matchless The Beach Boys and the California Myth overshadows any book that documents the group's most successful years.' The Guardian “When I championed the first edition of this book in 1978 in Melody Maker, I wrote ‘The definitive story. Probably the best book ever of any aspect of music history. A one of a kind effort, a new genre of journalism by going behind the scenes without sensationalizing.’ In our world, the sequel is almost never better than the original. But in the rock biography universe, David Leaf’s God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the California Myth is akin to The Godfather Part II. In this massive update, Leaf reveals deeper truths about Mr. Wilson that make his adventures with Brian feel like a page-turning novel.” Author and music historian, Harvey Kubernik 'Essential reading for anybody who cares about Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and the evolution of rock & roll.' Jason Fine, former Editor-in-Chief, Rolling Stone