Paul Leka
February 20, 1943 – October 12, 2011

Photo by Joseph Bly

Paul Leka was an American multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and songwriter who is perhaps best remembered for collaborating on two of the 1960′s most famous “one-hit wonders.”  Leka was just a child when he first took up the piano, and by his mid-teens, he was already writing songs.  His first major hit came in 1967 with the Lemon Pipers’ bubblegum hit, “Green Tambourine.”  The song, co-written with Shelley Pinz, ultimately  reached #1 on the pop charts and was later recorded by Status Quo, Tripping Daisy, and Lawrence Welk, to name a few.  His next hit came in 1969 when “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” written with Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, topped the charts for Steam, which was actually a group of studio musicians fronted by DeCarlo.  The song has since been covered by the likes of the Nylons, the Belmonts, and Bananarama who made it a hit for the MTV generation in 1983.  The popular chorus of the song – reportedly written by Leka – has since become a standard at sporting events around the world, used primarily as a victory chant over the opposing teams.  In 2011, the chorus was sung by American crowds in celebration of the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Throughout his career, Leka also collaborated with the Left Banke, REO Speedwagen, Gloria Gaynor, Harry Chapin, and many others.  Paul Leka died of lung cancer on October 12, 2011.  He was 68.

Thanks to Roch Parisien for the assist.