Leake was born in
Winona, Mississippi, in 1919. Information about his early years is sparse, but in the early 1950s he joined the Big Three Trio (replacing
Leonard Caston) and began his association with Chess Records, where he worked closely with bassist, producer, and songwriter
Willie Dixon. Leake played piano on
One Dozen Berrys, Chuck Berry's second album, released in 1958 by Chess. He was then on
Berry Is on Top; Leake (not Berry's longtime bandmate
Johnnie Johnson) played the prominent piano on the classic original rendition of "
Johnny B. Goode", as well as "
Rock and Roll Music". Leake played on numerous other Chess sessions from the 1950s through the 1970s, backing many Chess musicians, including
Sonny Boy Williamson,
Otis Rush,
Junior Wells, and
Little Walter. During the 1960s, Willie Dixon formed the
Chicago Blues All-Stars, with Leake as resident pianist. Leake toured and recorded with this group until the mid-1970s. and recorded "Hidden Charms" with Dixon in 1988. Besides being a respected performer, Leake was a composer. Leake fell into a
diabetic coma in his home in Chicago, where he remained undiscovered for several days, dying in hospital on August 14, 1990. ==Major recordings==