[3] He went on to study with Lou Melia at Sayer's Studio in Plainfield, who taught him the "consecutive picking" technique.
[4] A few years later, he began studying with Harry Volpe, studio guitarist and teacher of such players as Joe Pass and Sal Salvador.
[5] His saxophonist neighbour, Bill Pfeiffer, introduced Leahey to the jazz and studio guitarist Johnny Smith, who took him under his wing for six months and showed him how to perform "alternate picking.
[7] As a teenager, Leahey formed a group with his sister Edith, which went by the name of "Sunshine", inspired by the Les Paul and Mary Ford duo.
[8] In the summer of 1955, they were booked at the last minute to play on the SS Groote Beer, travelling from Hoboken, New Jersey to Rotterdam, Netherlands.
[14] As part of the Newport Jazz Festival, the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra and the Phil Woods Quintet shared the bill at a midnight concert on June 28, 1977.
[9] He got married on May 4, 1960, to Karen Anthony, his childhood friend Tom's younger sister,[20] with whom he had 4 children, two daughters, Deborah& Gillian and 2 sons, Dennis & Jimmy.