The singing linguist: from rock star to language detective

Growing up in New York, Robert Leonard fell in love with soul and Motown harmony singing. When he arrived at Columbia University in 1968, he joined an a cappella group devoted to 1950s doo-wop, a nostalgic sound from his childhood that felt gentler than the turbulent moment he and his fellow students were living through. When the group's performances around campus became wildly popular, Robert’s older brother saw an opportunity. He decided to style them into a band – called Sha Na Na – complete with choreographed moves and ironic outfits, and soon they were performing in the coolest venues across New York City. Sha Na Na’s upbeat ’50s revival act, wildly out of step with the psychedelic and folk rock of the era, became an unlikely hit with young people angry and heartbroken by the Vietnam War. Jimi Hendrix was a fan, and helped land them a slot at the now legendary Woodstock festival, where Sha Na Na’s gold lamé-clad performance would become iconic. But just a year later, Robert walked away from the band to pursue academia. He went on to become a professor of Swahili, and later a pioneer in forensic linguistics, analysing language to help solve crimes. Today, he's considered one of the best in the world.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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(Photos: Left: Robert Leonard singing onstage with Sha Na Na at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, wearing his signature gold lamé outfit in 1969, Right: Robert Leonard in his classroom teaching linguistics in Hofstra University in 2019. Both images courtesy of Robert Leonard)