Paul Leka (February 20, 1943[1] – October 12, 2011) was an American songwriter, record producer, pianist, arranger, and orchestrator,[2] most notable for co-writing the 1960s hits "Green Tambourine" and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", the latter of which has become a standard song at sporting events.
Soon after he started taking piano lessons, Paul was writing songs, and by age 16, his brother said, he was trying to sell them to music publishers in New York.
[2] Described as "one of those rare, genuinely prodigious musicians who was too talented to limit himself to actually being a member of one group or recording project",[4] Leka grew up in Connecticut and played piano as a child and later became a multi-instrumentalist.
[4] He principally wrote songs for and had hits with the Lemon Pipers (for whom, with Shelley Pinz, he wrote "Green Tambourine"), the Peppermint Rainbow in which he produced, arranged, and orchestrated for their song "Will You Be Staying After Sunday", and Steam, which featured two of his bandmates from the Chateaus, and who scored a multiplatinum hit with the Leka co-written "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".
Leka worked in the industry into the 1980s, producing Richmond, Virginia band, The Dads, and writing and arranging for artists such as Peter Nero, Jimmie Spheeris, Tim Moore, Harry Chapin, REO Speedwagon, Lori Lieberman, and Gloria Gaynor.