Leonard Harold Breau (August 5 1941 – August 12 1984) was an American‑Canadian guitarist renowned for his innovative fingerstyle technique and synthesis of diverse musical genres, including jazz, country, classical, and flamenco. Born in Auburn, Maine, United States, Breau moved with his family to Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1948, and later settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he began his professional career.
Early life and education
Breau was the son of professional country musicians Harold Breau (also known as “Hal Lone Pine”) and Betty Cody. He started playing guitar at age eight and performed publicly with his parents’ band by his early teens. At fifteen he recorded his first professional sessions in Maine, and by his late teens he was active in the Winnipeg music scene, learning jazz fundamentals from local musicians such as pianist Bob Erlendson.
Career
From the late 1950s through the early 1980s, Breau worked as a session musician, television performer, and recording artist. Notable milestones include:
- 1961 – First jazz recording session in Toronto, featuring future members of The Band (Rick Danko and Levon Helm).
- Early 1960s – Membership in the Toronto‑based jazz group Three, appearing on television and in the National Film Board documentary Toronto Jazz.
- Mid‑1960s – Regular performances at Winnipeg’s Fourth Dimension club, where he interacted with musicians such as Neil Young and Randy Bachman.
- 1967 – Chet Atkins discovered Breau’s work via recordings from The Lenny Breau Show, leading to a friendship and the release of Breau’s first solo albums, Guitar Sounds from Lenny Breau (1971) and The Velvet Touch of Lenny Breau – Live! (1971).
Breau’s style was distinguished by his use of a seven‑string guitar, extensive fingerpicking, and a “piano‑like” approach to harmony, allowing him to play simultaneous bass lines, chords, and melodic lines. He incorporated techniques such as artificial harmonics and rapid arpeggios, influencing subsequent generations of guitarists across multiple genres.
Personal life
Breau married Judi Singh, with whom he had a daughter, Emily Hughes, who later produced documentaries about her father’s legacy. His later years were marked by personal difficulties, culminating in his untimely death in Los Angeles, California, on August 12 1984 at age 43.
Legacy
Posthumously, Breau’s recordings have been reissued and celebrated for their technical mastery and artistic originality. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1997, and his influence is acknowledged by notable guitarists such as Chet Atkins, Bill Evans, and contemporary fingerstyle players. Documentaries The Genius of Lenny Breau (1999) and The Genius of Lenny Breau Remembered (2018) further cement his reputation as a seminal figure in modern guitar music.