David Leaf

David Leaf (born April 20, 1952) is an American writer, producer, and director known for documentaries, music programs, and pop culture retrospectives.

According to music critic Richie Unterberger, Leaf was "the first author to write extensively, and honestly, about the Beach Boys". Leaf's 1978 biography, The Beach Boys and the California Myth, examined the behind the scenes tensions and family history that had never been covered before. He adds that Beach Boy Mike Love was "annoyed" with the book, and that "If there is a flaw to Leaf's writing, it's that its praise of Brian Wilson is often unabashed, and his dominant creative role in the group arguably overstated."