As a child, he spent a lot of time with his aunt or grandmother, and by the time he was eleven years old his aunt became his permanent guardian. Leon recalls listening to his grandmother playing the accordion or occasionally his aunt strumming a few chords on the guitar and singing some chorus lines.

Leon 's aunt being a devout Christian, took him to church more often than he would have done had he had his own way, but  in time Duncan realized that he loved to play the guitar for the choir. As he was the only musician in church at the time, he tried to emulate other instruments on the guitar and would jump at every opportunity to jam with other musicians and sit in on the bass guitar, when there was one around.

His affinity for the bass grew and when he turned fourteen he knew he'd found a media through which he could express himself. Leon started copying bass parts from records of all genres. His roots at the time was totally embedded in gospel music but Leon 's appetite was insatiable, his heart was all music, gospel or secular; it didn't matter to him he liked to play all kinds of music, anything they played on the radio.

After a while he met a few musicians in Spanish town that had a band and he started rehearsing on a regular basis with them after school each day. Soon after, the band landed a steady gig at a club on White hall avenue in Kingston every Friday, which featured Stanley Beckford (Stanley and the Turbines) as well as other local acts.

At the age of 16 he moved to the north coast of the Island , gigging a few nights per week in a few hotel resident bands and garnering as much experience as possible.

His real education started  however, when he met arguably the  world's greatest guitar player and one of Jamaica's true music exponent, Ernest Ranglin. Leon had met him shortly before his 19^th birthday and Leon still considers that meeting  his best birthday present ever. This was to be a turning point in Leon 's career. He was in the bass chair of his personal hero. He still has fond memories of the “Ernie Ranglin trio” playing jazz six nights per week at the Ciboney hotel in Ocho Rios, and the occasional Monty Alexander visits. when he happened to be in Jamaica . Monty would sit in with the trio and play impossible things on his Melodica.

His tenure with the Ernie Ranglin trio lasted a few years and it was also a first choice rhythm section for visiting artistes such as Courtney pine, Pharoah Sanders, Othello Molineux to name a few. Duncan was also a sporadic guest with the Sonny Bradshaw big band.

Leon has toured worldwide and / or recorded with artists such as   Monty Alexander  Frankie Paul; Justin Hinds  Patrice, Peggy Stern, Len “boogsie”  Sharpe Swiss Musical Orchestra, Nubya, David Regan Orchestra, Rodrigo Botter Maio , Othella Dallas, to name a few.

In 2006 Leon teamed up with long time cohort and steel drummer from Trinidad Junior Edwards to form a group called “C-breeze”  playing music that  highlight their Caribbean  background and at the same time incorporating a broad spectrum of idioms such as reggae, jazz calypso folk and urban beats.

C-breeze is also touring regularly  with the prolific and rising star  “Namusoke”.

Duncan remains active live and in the studio, and also doubles on the doublebass in a few orchestras and small ensembles. Leon Duncan is a player that likes it all and his philosophy has always been, and remains.

“Music is music, same twelve notes for all, just treat them nicely.”