Hank Leonhardt
Started his Musical career in High School in 1965 . His first first band was from Edmonton and was called The Wayne Williams Band, they rehearsed for 3 months then did one gig and never got paid the promoter. In the same year 1965 moved to Seattle to go to Art School at the Burnley School of Professional Art. While at Art School he sang with a band called the Clouds they recorded at Kirney Barton's Studio in Seattle. Kirney was the guy who produced such bands as The Kingsmen (Louie Louis) Paul Revere and the Raiders early stuff and The Wailers.
Hank returned to Edmonton and joined The Sons of Adam in 1967 and then formed his own Band Sweet Salt in 1969 and became a mainstay in the top 40 and Cabaret scene of the day. This band eventually became Coloured Rain and then became Kicking Horse and toured Western Canada for years , even opening for BB King at Oil Can Harry's in Vancouver.In 1974 he was fortunate to get offered the lead vocalist spot with Legendary Hot Cottage Edmonton's premier blues band at the time. Hank found his new love singing the blues and sang with Hot Cottage until 1978. Over the 4 years with Hot Cottage he really developed his blues.voice. Hank Leonhardt immersed myself in the blues and from that point on that is pretty much all he have been doing, Blues and R&B
Hank then moved to Victoria BC and formed Uncle Wiggly's Hot Shoes Blues Band who were signed to RCA Records and did a Canadian Tour to support their Tom Lavin, Blue Wave produced debut album, this was followed by a second album and more touring. The band opened shows for Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker, James Cotton, George Thorogood, Koko Taylor, The Neville Brothers, and John Mayall to name a few. The band disbanded in 1982 Hank then moved to Vancouver and formed the R&B Toasters a mainstay in the Vancouver R&B scene for 5 years this band was followed by the Kingpins with Jack Lavin former member of Powder Blues and they recorded two CD's and were on the A Blues circuit on the West Coast for 6 years. Hank relocated to Edmonton to join the members of Tacoy Ryde and form A Fist Full of Blues who are now in our 7th year and have two CD's to our credit of all Original Tunes. Everyone in the band writes and we pride ourselves on our tight live performances. Hank also resumed singing with Hot Cottage during this time when fronting Fist full of Blues.
Hank moved back to the Victoria BC in June of 2014 and he is working again with Uncle Wiggly's Hot Shoes Blues Band full time.
They were fortunate to winch Memphis Challnege and represented BC in Memphis in January 2015 at the International Blues Challenge. They are members of the Victoria Music Hall of Fame. They are currently working on a new CD to be recorded in the fall of 2016. This Band tours and plays around Vancouver Island and the Lower mainland.
