ORANGE, CALIFORNIA | Accomplished broadcaster, producer and writer Leeza London will be joining the OC MUSIC NEWS writing staff.
Leeza London is her professional name, everyone knows her as Liza Kumjian-Smith. As an accomplished industry professional, Liza graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Film and Television Production. During her time in college, she worked in Publicity for the local alternative rock radio station 91X. Her incredible work ethic, energy, knowledge, and commitment got her noticed by Seymour Stein the head of Sire Records (Warner), who offered her a job to work as an A&R Consultant in London. Although her field of study had been film, she jumped at the opportunity, and moved to London during the birth of Brit Pop.
Liza worked with Stein at Sire Records for a few years, where she signed Morcheeba, and was later poached by Hollywood Records (Disney), where she worked under Rob Cavallo (Grammy Award winning producer of Green Day) to provide the label with UK artists to sign to their roster. Coldplay and Muse were among the many unsigned artists she presented to Hollywood Records, however, they were both rejected by the label as they were thought to “have no hits.”
Only a few months into settling in to her new life as a Londoner, legendary DJ Rodney Bingenheimer got in touch with Liza through a mutual friend, and presented her with the opportunity to host the “American In London” segment during his show, “The Rodney on the Roq Show” on KROQ 106.7 fm (Los Angeles). She felt that would compliment her A&R job nicely, so she accepted the position. As well as writing, producing, and hosting a live music news broadcast, Liza would supply Rodney with the latest releases from new and established acts, interview up and coming artists, and find great unsigned bands (the ones she was presenting to Sire and Hollywood), to feature on her show as the “ones to watch”. It is because of Liza’s segment, that KROQ can lay claim to being the first radio station in the US to play Coldplay, Muse, and Arctic Monkeys and the first to interview Oasis, Keane,Pulp as well as many others during the 20 years she hosted her show for KROQ.
In 2003, Liza was finally able to blend her two passions music and film, to work as the Production Coordinator on the feature film documentary “Mayor Of The Sunset Strip”, directed by Academy Award winner George Hinckenlooper. The film centered around the radio career of Liza’s longtime co-host Rodney Bingenheimer and featured his friends Mic Jagger, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Cher, Brook Shields, and Joan Jett, to name a few.
Liza has since worked as a Music Supervisor on feature films, and currently co-hosts a show TNN RADIO with long-time friend Jimmy Alvarez on KXFM 104.7 FM in Laguna Beach, CA.
Liza is still on the look-out for emerging talent, so tune in to hear the stars of tomorrow and check out her stories at OC Music News.
Weird factoid about Liza: With shoes off, and standing back-to-back, Liza and Danny Devito are the exact same height.
Her stories are now being publish at ocmusicnews.com
For More Information Please Contact Us At:
ocmusicnews@yahoo.com
LEEZA LONDON DJ at TNN RADIO | KXFM 104.7 LAGUNA BEACH
