In America, in the late 1930s, brothers Harold ‘Hal’ Edstrom and Everett ‘Leonard’ Edstrom formed a very popular dance band along with their friend Roger Busdicker. The brothers were concerned that their father wouldn’t approve of using the family name for a band, so Harold and Ev took parts of their names and called the band Hal Leonard. As leader of the Hal Leonard Band, Ev eventually became known as ‘Hal Leonard.’
The company Hal Leonard was officially founded in 1947 when their music-publishing journey began.
To read the full Hal Leonard company history, please visit our parent company website.
Distribution Centre, Heerenveen, Netherlands
Hal Leonard Europe History
Following Hal Leonard’s acquisition of leading Dutch band and instrumental publisher De Haske Publications in 2008, Hal Leonard has continued to expand its operations in Europe. In 2018, Hal Leonard purchased the printed music business of the Music Sales Group (now Wise Music Group), along with the Musicroom-branded e-commerce retail site, which collectively became Hal Leonard Europe.
In 2024, Hal Leonard Europe distribution centres are located in the Netherlands, Italy and the UK, with more than 200 employees based in Europe.