General Lee

Not many DJs kicked off their career at age 10; but radio personality Leigh Dolbear, better known to Kiwis as General Lee, started spinning the decks at the family business as soon as he hit double-digits.

His parents’ bar, The Forge, opened in Papakura in 1978 and was legendary for its live music gigs; it also had a DJ booth, and the young Leigh taught himself to mix on vinyl, experimenting with everything from 70s classics to the newest chart releases every chance he got.

Leigh’s names the highlight of his career as landing his first show on George FM back in the early 2000s – he calls it “the greatest station in the world;” Leigh was then poached by ZM to host the Club Mix on Friday and Saturday nights, forever cementing him in the hearts and minds of millennials and Gen-Xers as the soundtrack to their nights out.

His ZM gig progressed into the Ministry of Sound radio sessions for which he played 400 shows in total, making him one of the country’s most well-known and prolific DJs.

In 2017 Leigh moved to the daytime show on George FM, and now takes the captain’s seat as the breakfast host with Tammy Davis; the duo have delivered the best show results George FM has ever seen in the 22 years of the station.

He’s also dabbled in producing music, and released the 2016 summer banger “Everything is Going to be Alright” with NZ hip hop artist Kings, which hit the NZ singles chart.

Although Leigh has seen the DJ landscape, as well as music tastes, trends and technology evolve extensively over his 20+ year career, his number-one love remains records, the first platform he learned to mix on – to this day he is a huge vinyl collector, boasting an extensive collection across many genres.

When famously high-energy Leigh isn’t behind the decks or the George FM breakfast mic, he relishes time with his partner and young daughter Gigi, whose arrival in 2019 has been the biggest joy in Leigh’s life (as expected, she has her own headphones and he has already had her try out the decks!) Leigh and his younger sister lost their mother to MS, so family time is always his number one priority.

To counteract the late nights that often come with DJ Life, you’ll find Leigh blowing away the cobwebs out on his boat, fishing and making the most of Auckland’s harbour playground, and he is a member of a target shooting club. He loves a debate on politics and topical news, loves talkback; plays guitar and piano - he’s also an avid cook and wine afficionado!

Leigh is in constant high demand by premiere brands to seal their events as the hottest ticket in town by getting everyone in the room on the dancefloor - he’s played gigs for Coca Cola, Flight Centre, ANZ, Hyundai, Pioneer, New Balance and Barkers, to name a few.

He also hosts and MCs gigs, bringing his infectious personality to the stage; for four years running he's hosted the sold-out Synthony shows across NZ.

Leigh’s boundless energy, humour and positivity make him the perfect match for businesses who want a co-lab partner to connect them with a social, engaged audience who are always looking for their next adventure!