The Canadian-American blues artist Leon Redbone was something of an enigma and during his career it was often speculated as to whether his distinctive stage persona was simply a different identity created by an existing star, most notably Frank Zappa or Andy Kaufman. The artist outlived both of these performers so it can be safely assumed he wasn't their alter ego.

He was born Dickman Gobalian in 1949 and was often evasive when questioned about his past although it is widely accepted he was of Cypriot origin and his parents moved to Toronto, Canada in the early 1960s. In the early stages of his career Gobalian received glowing endorsements from Bob Dylan and this patronage helped him get a foothold in the music business. In 1978 Gobalian's song 'Seduced' was featured in the film 'The Big Fix' and this track went on to become one of his defining works. Gobalian was exposed to a much wider audience after he secured regular slots on 'Saturday Night Live' and during the 1980s he was was a frequent guest on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' and Garrison Keillor's popular weekly radio show 'The Prairie Home Companion'. Gobalian passed away in May 2019 from a Dementia-related illness and leaves behind a recording legacy of 13 studio albums.

Leon Redbone

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