Born on September 8, 1941, in the Codroy Valley, Leonard came from a musical family. His brother Sears played the accordion, and his brother Frank was an excellent step dancer. Len lived in the Codroy Valley most of his life, employed as a logger, except for ten years in Cape Breton, where he learned many of his fiddle tunes. 

Collector’s Note: My recording session eventually turned into a house party, as evidenced by the three tapes I have of that evening, which get progressively noisier as things get in full swing. Danny MacDonald was there as well and also played some fiddle. Most of the tunes played by both Len and Danny are well-known Cape Breton tunes, the Codroy Valley having strong historical and cultural ties with that region of Nova Scotia. The Codroy Valley once had a tradition of speaking Scottish Gaelic.