Bill Leslie (journalist)
Bill Leslie (journalist)
Bill Leslie is an American journalist and a longtime radio/television anchor, as well as a New Age recording artist and composer.
Early life
- Born September 26, 1950, in Morganton, North Carolina.
- Graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC).
Career in journalism
- After UNC, began in radio at WKIX in Raleigh, then worked at WTAR in Norfolk and KBME in Houston.
- Returned to Raleigh in 1979 as News Director for WRAL-FM.
- Moved to WRAL-TV in 1984, where he held roles including News Director, weekend anchor, environmental reporter, and co-anchor of the morning and noon newscasts.
- Retired from WRAL-TV on June 29, 2018.
Music career
- Also a successful New Age recording artist and composer, with twelve music albums.
- Notable work includes Scotland: Grace of the Wild, which won World Radio Music Album of the Year in 2013.
- Other acclaimed releases include Peaceful Journey, Simple Beauty, Blue Ridge Reunion, and Christmas in Carolina.
- His music has earned recognition from international radio and music organizations.
Awards and honors
- Won two George Foster Peabody Awards and five Emmys.
- Recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists National Distinguished Public Service Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the National Headliner Award, the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award, the UPI National Award for Features, and multiple NC Journalist of the Year honors.
- Presidential honor: Governor’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine (2018) for service to North Carolina.
- Inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2022).
Public service
- Serves as president-elect of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.
Discography (selected)
- Paradise (2025)
- Celtic Peace (2021)
- Storyteller (2019)
- Across the Water (2015)
- Scotland: Grace of the Wild (2013)
- A Midnight Clear: Christmas in Mitford (2011)
- Simple Beauty (2010)
- Blue Ridge Reunion (2008)
- Christmas in Carolina (2005)
- Peaceful Journey (2003)
- The Hunt (2001)
- Grace in Stone (2000)
Books
- Blue Ridge Reunion (2008)
External links
- Official website: billleslie.com
Bill Leslie is known for both his impactful journalism career in North Carolina and his work as a respected New Age musician and composer.
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 00:30 (CET).