James D Angelo

Alan Leeds is an American figure in the music industry, recognized for his roles as an executive, tour manager, production manager, writer, and archivist. Born in Jackson Heights, New York, his career began in music journalism. He first engaged with James Brown in 1969 as his publicity director, later serving as tour manager from 1970 to 1973. Leeds then managed tours for Prince during a highly successful period, notably the Purple Rain Tour, eventually becoming president of Prince's label, Paisley Park Records, in 1989.

His work extended to managing tours for D'Angelo, including the Voodoo Tour in 2000, and also involved artists like Raphael Saadiq and The Roots. Leeds has also contributed to the curation of James Brown's music collections and has participated in events honoring Brown's legacy. His writing career includes receiving a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes in 1992 for the James Brown compilation "Star Time." He also wrote liner notes for a Prince box set and co-authored "The James Brown Reader." In 2020, he released a biographical book, "There Was a Time: James Brown, The Chitlin' Circuit, and Me."

Alan Leeds carved out a significant career within the music industry, initially as a writer before transitioning into management and archival roles. His early involvement with James Brown began in 1969, progressing from publicity director to tour manager for three years. A pivotal phase of his career involved extensive work with Prince, managing tours during the artist's peak commercial and creative periods, including the iconic Purple Rain Tour. This association led to his appointment as president of Prince's record label, Paisley Park Records, in 1989. Leeds continued his tour management work with a diverse range of artists, notably managing D'Angelo's successful Voodoo Tour in 2000, and also worked with musicians such as Raphael Saadiq and The Roots.

Beyond his managerial duties, Alan Leeds achieved recognition as a writer and music archivist. His contributions to documenting music history earned him critical acclaim, including a Grammy Award in 1992 for Best Album Notes for his work on the James Brown compilation "Star Time." He further demonstrated his commitment to preserving artists' legacies by penning liner notes for the Prince box set "The Hits/The B-Sides" and co-authoring "The James Brown Reader" with Nelson George. Leeds also played a role in curating collections of James Brown's singles and has been a speaker at events dedicated to celebrating Brown's career. His personal reflections on his experiences were published in 2020 with his book, "There Was a Time: James Brown, The Chitlin' Circuit, and Me."