Born John Leslie Nuzzo on January 25, 1945 in East Liverpool, Ohio, John grew up in Industry, Pennsylvania. As a budding artist, he left Industry to attend the Art Students League of New York on scholarship. In New York, he spent a short time driving a taxi and joined the band The Brooklyn Blues Busters. The band moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they backed numerous great Blues artists such as John Lee Hooker and Victoria Spivey.

John moved west to San Francisco in the early 1970’s. It was there he was introduced to the adult film industry. In 1976, he starred in his first major role along with Annette Haven, Jean Jennings, John Holmes and Paul Thomas in Autobiography of a Flea, a Mitchell Brothers' take on the 19th century erotic novel.

John took the professional name John Leslie and continued hardcore acting, performing in over 500 films including the classic film Talk Dirty to Me (1980) and Every Woman has a Fantasy (1984). In the late 1980’s, Leslie turned toward directing and created over 25 films for VCA Pictures including Nightshift Nurses (1987), Catwoman (1988), Curse of the Catwoman (1991), and Anything that Moves (1992).

In the mid-1990’s, Leslie moved on to form his own John Leslie Productions and directed over 124 titles distributed by Evil Angel Productions. Leslie created the infamous Voyeur series (1994 – 2010), Dog Walker (1994), the Fresh Meat series (1995 - 2011), Drop Sex (1997), Naomi… There’s Only One (2006), and Brianna Love Her Fine Sexy Self (2007).

It was also during this time, Leslie returned to his blues roots forming the John Leslie Blues Band with former band mate Johnny Ace, featuring Rusty Zinn. Accompanied by wife Kathleen on maracas, Leslie sang and played harmonica as they gigged throughout the Bay Area including The Ivy Room, Biscuits & Blues, and Marin’s famous Sweetwater Theater.

Over his career, Leslie received awards for acting and directing from AVN, the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO), the Adult Film Association of America (AFAA) and the California Adult Film Association (CAFA). Leslie was inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame, as well as the Legends of Erotica. Leslie was still actively making movies when he passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 5, 2010 in his home in Mill Valley, California.

• In the early 70s he was a vocalist and harmonica player for The Brooklyn Blues Busters.
• Long career as a producer, director and actor of adult movies.
• He won several awards for his work in front of as well as behind the camera.
• One of the first porn actors to make the transition from performing to directing, beginning with 1987’s Nightshift Nurses.