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Sheryl Leach | |
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| Born | Sheryl Lyna Stamps Allen, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Author, television producer, television writer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Creator of Barney & Friends [1] (1992–2010) |
| Spouse | James Edmond Leach (div. 2001) Howard Rosenfeld (m.) [2] [3] |
| Children | 1 |
Sheryl Lyna Stamps Leach is an American author who created the children's show Barney & Friends with Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer.
Leach holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a master's degree in bilingual education from Texas A&M University - Commerce. [4]
In the late 1980s, Sheryl Leach, along with Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer, came up with the concept for a children’s television show featuring a purple dinosaur named Barney. They believed that such a character could help young children learn important life lessons and skills in a fun and engaging way. Inspired by their own experiences as parents, they created the character and developed the show’s format. [5]
Leach, a former teacher, worked with Parker and DeShazer on what would become the TV show in 1987. Originally, the star of the show was envisioned as a teddy bear, but since her toddler son sparked an interest in dinosaurs, the character was changed to a dinosaur. Leach and her team created a series of home videos called Barney and the Backyard Gang . The videos were sold directly to the public. [6] In 1991, after Connecticut Public Television employee Larry Rifkin rented a Barney video for his daughter, he spoke with the creators about putting Barney on television. [7] In October of that year, production began on the new TV show, titled Barney & Friends , and in April 1992, it premiered on PBS. Barney went onto receive a number of awards and honors.
On January 9th, 2013, Leach's son Patrick was arrested for assault with a firearm. He was released on USD$1 million bond. [8] The incident stemmed from Patrick viewing security footage that led him to believe his 49-year-old neighbor was trespassing on his property. Patrick ultimately shot his neighbor in the chest following a "screaming match" in the latter's driveway. Patrick attempted to escape by vehicle, but was intercepted by authorities on the Pacific Coast Highway, several miles from the site of the incident. He was found in possession of a loaded handgun and rifle. His neighbor was left bleeding out, but ultimately survived the encounter after being hospitalized in critical condition. In 2015, Patrick was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted murder, but was released five years early. [9] [10]
According to Variety , Sheryl likened the character of Barney to a "brother" of sorts for her son. According to Stephen White, a head writer on the show: "Barney was like another entity in the family competing for attention. I could imagine that Patrick wouldn’t be crazy about that comparison. [...] I think Patrick had a lot to contend with in life — a lot of challenges. Some were medical issues; he had had some brain surgery. I knew Patrick was troubled." Additionally, he had been bullied due to "his association with a kid's show," unbeknownst to Sheryl. [9] [10]
Leach was nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards. [11] She holds an honorary doctorate from Texas A&M University–Commerce. [12]
Leach and her life partner Howard Rosenfeld have sponsored projects through their philanthropy organization the Shei'rah Foundation, including a number of documentaries [13] and several youth-based media projects. [14]
In 2007, Leach and Rosenfeld designed and built The Smithy, a specialty retail outlet in the village of New Preston in Litchfield County Connecticut, that sells local artisanal foods and handicrafts. [15]
Leach and Rosenfeld are also involved with community development, land conservation projects, and farming organizations in Litchfield County. They own and support two organic farms and were credited by Litchfield Magazine as one of the initiators of the "farm to table" movement in the area. [16] They also co-founded the Farmer's Table Dinner program in 2011 together with Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities. [17]
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