Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, music producer, film composer, and arranger. He is best known for his long and influential collaboration with Madonna, although his career has also included major work with artists such as Leonard Cohen, Roger Waters, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, Jewel, Jeff Beck, and Fleetwood Mac.
Born in Crystal Falls, Michigan, Leonard entered the professional music business in the late 1970s. He was involved with the Chicago pop-rock groups Whisper and Trillion, and also spent brief periods working as a keyboardist with Frank Zappa and the Allman Brothers Band. In the early 1980s, he broadened his experience as a touring musician and musical director, including work with the Jacksons during their 1984 Victory Tour.
Leonard's association with Madonna began during the period in which she was becoming one of the most important figures in popular music. He served as musical director and keyboardist on The Virgin Tour in 1985 and later worked in the same capacity on the Who's That Girl World Tour. Their songwriting and production partnership produced some of Madonna's most enduring material. Leonard co-wrote and co-produced "Live to Tell," "La Isla Bonita," "Who's That Girl," "Like a Prayer," "Cherish," "Oh Father," "Dear Jessie," "I'll Remember," "Frozen," and "Nothing Really Matters," among other songs. He also contributed to the albums True Blue, Who's That Girl, Like a Prayer, I'm Breathless, and Ray of Light.
The partnership was marked by a combination of strong melodic writing, dramatic keyboard arrangements, and polished pop production. Leonard's work helped connect Madonna's commercial instincts with more expansive musical ideas, particularly on Like a Prayer, where gospel, rock, soul, and orchestral elements were incorporated into a sophisticated mainstream sound. He also scored Madonna's 2008 documentary I Am Because We Are.
Outside his work with Madonna, Leonard established himself as a versatile album producer. He co-produced Bryan Ferry's Bete Noire, worked with Roger Waters on Amused to Death, and produced or contributed to records by Elton John, Julian Lennon, Rod Stewart, Jewel, Duncan Sheik, and others. His work on Elton John's Songs from the West Coast and Jewel's Spirit demonstrated his ability to move between adult pop, rock, singer-songwriter material, and large-scale studio productions. He also contributed keyboards and songwriting to Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason.
Leonard has maintained a parallel career in composition. His film credits include At Close Range, Nothing in Common, Heart Condition, Timebomb, With Honors, and Lullaby. He has also written for stage and dance projects, including The Ten Commandments: The Musical and a 2010 collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company.
As a recording artist, Leonard released the instrumental album Rivers in 1997 through his own Unitone label. His later solo work, It All Comes Down to Mood, appeared as a double album in 2024. He also formed the progressive-pop projects Toy Matinee with Kevin Gilbert and Third Matinee with Richard Page. Perhaps his most artistically distinctive later collaboration was with Leonard Cohen: Leonard co-wrote, produced, and performed on Cohen's Old Ideas, Popular Problems, You Want It Darker, and the posthumous Thanks for the Dance. His work on "Nevermind" from Popular Problems also brought his songwriting to a wider television audience through its use in True Detective.