LEON ISACKSONwas born in Sydney in July 1942. He started playing the drums at the age of 14 and began his professional career when he joined DIG RICHARDS & The R’JAYS in 1959. Leon’s early period with Dig included Sydney Stadium shows with Crash Craddock, Ricky Nelson etc. Television shows - Bandstand, Teen Time, Six O’clock Rock and staff recording band for Festival Records.

Leon later reformed the band into the RAJAHS in 1964 and they became JOHNNY O’KEEFE’s recording and backing band for the next three years. In 1965 Leon’s band the RAJAHS were the first group to entertain the troops in Vietnam with LUCKY STARR. Leon and his guitarist JON HAYTON and bass player MICHAEL LAWLER received commendations from General Westmorland and Brigadier Jackson and the Australian Overseas Forces (AFO) entertainment fund was formed as a result of their first trip. Leon made two more trips to Vietnam to entertain the troops, the latter with Eden Kane during the Tet Offensive in 1968.

After a couple of years in a 7-piece Chicago-type band called the CHANT in 1970, Leon joined the Delltones as their musical director. While writing arrangements, recording and touring with many of the top Australian artists in the seventies, including JOHNNY FARNHAM and RUSSELL MORRIS, Leon also teamed up again with Jon and Michael to play for several years with world famous pianist WINIFRED ATWELL.

In 1980 Leon founded a successful rock band called the MIGHTY GUYS with MICK HAMILTON and PHIL EIZENBERG. After three albums the band continued on throughout the nineties with a few interesting changes of line-up.

In 1990 Leon wrote a dual-autobiography with Jon Hayton called Behind The Rock in which Jon and Leon describe their exploits from Leon’s diaries from the period between 1956 and 1966. The book was published by Time-Life and received rave reviews from historians and fans alike.

Leon joined another vocal band in 1995 called PHOENIX made up from ex-Delltones, NEVIN McLEAN, ALAN FREEMAN and guitarist/songwriter, BRIAN DEAN from New Zealand. The group has been in constant demand ever since with their popular AUSTRALIAN BEACH BOYS SHOW, receiving the Ace Award for best vocal group in 1998 and a Mo Award for variety group of the year in 2001.