Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of

the Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...

throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band

Sea Level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. He has served as the principal touring keyboardist and musical director of

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

since 1982. As a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, Leavell has performed on every Rolling Stones studio album released since 1983 with the exception of ''

Bridges to Babylon ''Bridges to Babylon'' is the 21st British and 23rd American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by Virgin Records on 29 September 1997. Released as a double album on vinyl and as a single CD, it was supported by t ...

'' (1997). He has also toured and recorded with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...

Gov't Mule Gov't Mule (pronounced "Government Mule") is an American Southern rock jam band, formed in 1994 as a side project of the Allman Brothers Band by guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Fans often refer to Gov't Mule simply as ''Mule''. ...

and John Mayer.

Biography

Born in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. He started on piano, learning some basics from his mother, Frances Leavell. The Leavell family moved from Birmingham to

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

when he was five, then back to Birmingham for a few years, finally settling in

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

in 1962. He learned to play guitar from his cousin, Winston Leavell, and played tuba in junior high for two years. He started his first band, The Misfitz, in 1966. The Misfitz played a steady gig at the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

every Friday night, and eventually were the band for a Saturday morning television show, Tuscaloosa Bandstand. After the breakup of the Misfitz, Leavell did session work, and found himself on his first

gold record Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

, a single by

Freddie North Freddie North (born 28 May 1939, Nashville, Tennessee) is an American R&B singer. North had experience as a disc jockey at WLAC-Nashville and in promotion for Nashboro Records, who released gospel music. In 1971, he released an album, ''Frien ...

called "Don't Take Her She's All I've Got". Leavell also sought out other local musicians to play with and joined The South Camp in 1968. That band included his early mentor,

Paul Hornsby Paul Hornsby is an American musician and record producer who has produced gold and platinum records for artists including the Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie. Overview Paul Hornsby started playing music at an early ...

, who had played in

The Hour Glass Hour Glass was a 1960s rhythm and blues band based in Los Angeles, California in 1967 and 1968. Among their members were two future members of the Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman and his brother Gregg) and three future studio musicians at t ...

, a precursor to The Allman Brothers Band. In 1969, Hornsby moved to

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...

to work for

Capricorn Records Capricorn Records was an independent record label founded by Phil Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn Records is often credited by music historians as creating the southern rock genre. History Label and studio foun ...

as a studio musician and producer, eventually producing such artists as

The Charlie Daniels Band Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The D ...

The Marshall Tucker Band The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country, and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. W ...

Wet Willie Wet Willie is an American band from Mobile, Alabama. Their best-known song, " Keep On Smilin'", reached No. 10 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in August 1974. Several other of the group's songs also appeared on the singles charts in the ...

and others. At Hornsby's suggestion, Leavell came to Macon and helped form Sundown, which recorded one record on the

Ampex Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff as a spin-off of Dalmo-Victor. The name AMPEX is a portmanteau, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence.AbramsoThe History ...

label in 1970. That band broke up shortly thereafter, and Leavell found himself doing session work at Capricorn and eventually was tapped to tour with Alex Taylor,

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

's elder brother. Leavell recorded one record with Taylor, ''

Dinnertime ''Dinnertime'' is the second album by Alex Taylor, brother of James, Livingston and Kate Taylor. The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. The standout tracks are "Change Your Sexy Ways", Randy Newman's "Lets Burn Down the Corn ...

'', which was released in 1972. Leavell continued to tour with Taylor for a short time afterwards. When Taylor had a falling out with his manager and the founder of Capricorn,

Phil Walden Phil Walden (January 11, 1940 – April 23, 2006) was a co-founder of the Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records, along with former Atlantic Records executive Frank Fenter. Biography Walden received his undergraduate degree in economics from M ...

, and quit touring, Leavell found himself playing with

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

. Leavell claims this was his "college education." While playing with Dr. John, Leavell caught the attention of

Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Br ...

, who tapped him to play on his first solo album, the Johnny Sandlin-produced ''

Laid Back Laid Back is a Danish electronic music duo group from Copenhagen, formed in 1979. The duo consists of John Guldberg (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tim Stahl (vocals, keyboards, drums, bass). They are best known for the hits "Sunshine Reggae" and " ...

''. Allman and Sandlin introduced the rest of the Allman Brothers Band to Leavell, and Leavell joined the band in September 1972, when they decided not to recreate their dual lead guitar sound after the death of

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

, who had died the previous October, but rather to use a different instrument as the second lead. Leavell's work was most prominent on the band's popular 1973 album '' Brothers and Sisters'', and in particular on the heavily played instrumental " Jessica." However, only one studio album, 1975's ''

Win, Lose or Draw ''Win, Lose or Draw'' is an American television game show that aired from 1987 to 1990 in syndication and on NBC. It was taped at CBS Television City (one of the few non- CBS game shows to tape there), often in Studios 31, 33, and 43 at various ...

,'' followed, again with Leavell's piano and keyboard work featured. Sea Level - Chuck Leavell (color fix)

In 1973, Leavell married Rose Lane White, who was working as a staff member at Capricorn Records. The Allmans toured heavily behind ''Brothers and Sisters'', playing stadiums and breaking records for attendance in many venues across the country. Leavell also appeared on a live record with the band, ''

Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas ''Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas'' is a 1976 double album, double live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It collected a variety of performances from the popular mid-1970s line-up of the band, which featured pianist Chuck Leavell and ...

'' during this era as well as subsequent compilations, live performances and re-releases in later years. During the mid-1970s Leavell also appeared on

Dickey Betts Forrest Richard Betts (born December 12, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. Early in his career, he collaborated with Duane Allman, introducing melodic tw ...

's first solo record, ''

Highway Call ''Highway Call'' is the debut album by Dickey Betts (under the name Richard Betts), of The Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded in 1974 in Macon, Georgia, at Capricorn Studios. Betts further develops the country sound that emerged on the Allman ...

''. In addition during this time, he made multiple contributions on several other Capricorn artists' recordings like

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memp ...

Bonnie Bramlett Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist. Life and career ...

, Cowboy and more as well as recordings outside the Capricorn family with

Tim Weisberg Jules Timothy Weisberg (born January 1, 1943) is an American flutist, vocalist, and record producer. Career In school he wanted to play drums, but instruments were chosen in order of the students' last names, and when Weisberg got his chance, hi ...

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The De ...

and others. The Allmans found themselves in turmoil in 1976, and broke up that year. Later the band re-formed, but without Leavell as he had moved on to form his own band, Sea Level in late 1976. While opening shows for The Allman Brothers Band with The Allman Brothers' bass guitarist

Lamar Williams Lamar Williams (January 14, 1949 – January 21, 1983) was an American musician best known for serving as the bassist of The Allman Brothers Band (1972–1976) and Sea Level (1976–1980). Early years Williams was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, ...

and drummer

Jaimoe John Lee Johnson (born July 8, 1944), frequently known by the stage names Jai Johanny Johanson and Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Johanson played ...

, Leavell stepped up as a frontman for the first time in his career. After The Allman Brothers Band disbanded in May 1976, the trio added guitarist

Jimmy Nalls Jimmy Nalls (born James Albert Nalls III; May 31, 1951 – June 22, 2017) was an American guitarist mostly known as a founding member of the rock band Sea Level. Biography Born on May 31, 1951, in Washington D.C., Nalls embarked on a busy session ...

and set about touring behind the moniker

, derived from Leavell's first initial and last name. The group lasted five years and released as many albums, each featuring a different configuration of the group. From 1982 to 1984, he was part of the group

Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks, often referred to as BHLT, was an American musical group that existed from 1982 to 1984 and that featured former members of The Allman Brothers Band and Wet Willie. Despite a positive reception for their live perf ...

, which had been organized by Betts. Although the group received good critical notices, and is viewed positively in retrospect by Leavell, it was unable to garner a recording contract. Leavell's first encounters with

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

were auditions on

Long View Farm Long View Farm Studios was a music recording studio located in North Brookfield, Massachusetts which was founded in 1974 by Gilbert Scott Markle, a professor at Clark University, on his farm property. It was the location of recordings from many ...

for the spot of piano player alongside Ian Stewart for the Rolling Stones 1981 United States tour. Even though

Ian McLagan Ian Patrick McLagan (; 12 May 1945 – 3 December 2014) was an English keyboardist, best known as a member of the rock bands Small Faces and Faces. He also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and led his own band from the late 1970s. He was in ...

was chosen, Leavell guested at the Rolling Stones' Atlanta gig on October 26, 1981. For the 1982 European Tour Leavell landed the position of keyboardist alongside Ian Stewart. Leavell continued to record with the Stones on their next two albums, during a time when the band was not touring. After Stewart's death in 1985, Leavell occupied the role of the group's keyboardist by himself, with the exception of the addition of Matt Clifford on the '' Steel Wheels'' record and

tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...

. He has continued to tour and record with The Rolling Stones ever since, as well as recording with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on solo projects. The Stones' most recent studio recording was in 2012, '' Doom and Gloom''. He continued to go on tour with The Rolling Stones, as of 2006, as part of their record-grossing

A Bigger Bang Tour A Bigger Bang was a worldwide concert tour by the Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album '' A Bigger Bang''. At the time, it was the highest grossing tour of all time, earning $558,255,52 ...

. He served as the unofficial "musical director" for the band and devised each night's

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

with

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

. "It's my job to keep Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie all happy", Leavell stated on his web page. He began keeping notes on the songs during rehearsals, which eventually led to his role with the band. In addition to his work with The Rolling Stones, Leavell has worked with

Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...

Tinsley Ellis Tinsley Ellis (born June 4, 1957) is an American blues and rock musician, who was born in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and grew up in South Florida. According to ''Billboard'', "nobody has released more consistently excellent blues albums ...

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Ge ...

The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

Montgomery Gentry Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John Michael Mo ...

, John Mayer,

Miranda Lambert Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country singer and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place o ...

, Blues Traveller amongst many others in the studio and on the road, in addition to recording five solo albums. In 2003, Leavell participated in the annual improvisational musical experiment known as Zambiland Orchestra in Atlanta. Leavell was inducted into the

Georgia Music Hall of Fame The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Miller to attract the music ...

in 2004. He is also a member of the

Alabama Music Hall of Fame The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a facility after a statewide referendu ...

. In an April 2007 radio interview on

WOR-AM WOR (710 AM) is a 50,000-watt class A clear-channel AM radio station owned by iHeartMedia and licensed to New York, New York. The station airs a mix of local and syndicated talk radio shows, primarily from co-owned Premiere Networks, includi ...

, Leavell said his favorite contributions to songs in his career were "Jessica" with The Allman Brothers Band, "Old Love" on

's ''

Unplugged Unplugged may refer to: *Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means * "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014 * "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family'' Albums and EPs * ''Unplugged'' (5'nizza album), 2002 * '' ...

'', Out of Tears on The Rolling Stones' ''

Voodoo Lounge ''Voodoo Lounge'' is the 20th British and 22nd American studio album by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released on 11 July 1994. As their first new release under their new alliance with Virgin Records, it ended a five-year gap since th ...

'', and ''

Drops of Jupiter ''Drops of Jupiter'' is the second studio album by American pop rock band Train, released in 2001. The album's title is derived from "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", its lead single, which was a hit internationally and won the Grammy Award for Best ...

'' by

. In 2011, Leavell played on John Mayer's album ''Born and Raised'' which was released in May 2012, reaching Number One on the

Billboard Chart The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

. He also worked with David Gilmour, who reached to him out of the blue years after meeting on a session with Eric Clapton in the early 1990s. In February 2012, he and the other existing members of the Allman Brothers Band received a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." ...

. In addition to his time in the band from 1972 to 1976, Leavell performed two shows with the reunited Allman Brothers Band in 1986. Since 2001, he has performed as a guest pianist at more than a dozen Allman Brothers Band concerts, including multiple shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Leavell enjoys "giving back" to the community of his birth. In 1992, he played on a record title
"Mr. President"
which was produced by noted Birmingham jazz keyboardist and vocalist

Ray Reach Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. (born August 3, 1948) is an American pianist, vocalist, guitarist, composer, arranger, music producer, and educator, named by AL.com as one of "30 Alabamians who changed jazz history." He serves as President and CEO of ...

for the purpose of raising money for the homeless in the Birmingham area. Leavell and several other well-known Alabama musicians (including

Wayne Perkins David Wayne Perkins (born 1951) is an American rock and R&B guitarist, singer, songwriter and session musician. According to a 2017 feature about him on the Alabama website AL.com, he is "arguably the greatest guitarist Alabama ever produced." ...

, Chuck Tilley,

Charlie Hayward Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The De ...

, and Kelley O'Neal) donated their time for this project. On March 20, 2008, Leavell was given a BAMA Award (Birmingham Area Music Award) for his contributions to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. The 2008 BAMA Awards ceremony was held at the

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (AJHF) was founded in 1978, and opened a museum on September 18, 1993, with a mission "to foster, encourage, educate, and cultivate a general appreciation of the medium of jazz music as a legitimate, original and dis ...

(in the historic Carver Theatre in the

Birmingham Civil Rights District The Birmingham Civil Rights District is an area of downtown Birmingham, Alabama where several significant events in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s took place. The district was designated by the City of Birmingham in 1992 and cove ...

). Leavell performed at this ceremony accompanied by the

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars (AJHoF All-Stars) is a working jazz ensemble, featuring some of the finest jazz musicians Alabama has to offer. This group is the faculty of the Jazz Education Department of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and t ...

directed by

. Also, at the same ceremony, a BAMA Award was bestowed upon keyboardist/producer

Peter Wolf Peter Wolf (born March 7, 1946) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of the J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1983 and as a solo artist. Early life and education Peter Wolf was born Peter Walter Blankfield on March 7, 1946 in The ...

. Leavell makes time to involve himself with other causes, and in 2008 performed with a supergroup which opened for

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

in Boston. The concert raised money for artists struggling with addiction. Leavell also serves on the Georgia Commission for Hearing Impaired and Deaf Persons. In 2013, Leavell was nominated for a

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

in the 'Pinetop Perkins Piano Player' category. Leavell is the celebrity spokesperson for Sealevel Systems, Inc.

The Allman Betts Band The Allman Betts Band is an American rock group. Formed in November 2018, it includes the sons of three founding members of the Allman Brothers Band – Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Duane Oakle ...

- In November 2018, the sons of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts announced the formation of The Allman Betts Band. They will kick off 2019 with a new Allman Betts Band album and a worldwide tour that will feature new music, songs from their solo projects and classic Allman Brothers and Gregg Allman tunes in honor of the 50th Anniversary of The Allman Brothers Band. The new album, which is slated to be released in the Spring of 2019, will be produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley) with Leavell on keyboards. A documentary of Chuck Leavell's career and life outside of music, ''Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man'', directed by Allen Farst, premiered at Dayton, Ohio's "The Neon" theatre on November 6, 2020. The film, featured in a number of film festivals in 2020, won the

Sedona Film Festival The Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) is an annual, eight-day film festival in Sedona, Arizona. The festival was founded in 1994. The Sedona Film Festival screens feature films, documentary films, short films, animated films, and studen ...

's People's Choice Award. The film, featuring

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...

David Gilmore David Gilmore (born 5 February 1964) is an American jazz guitarist. Gilmore studied at New York University with Joe Lovano and Jim McNeely. In 1987 he began working professionally with the M-Base Collective and Ronald Shannon Jackson. In the 1 ...

Warren Haynes Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a ...

, John Mayer,

Julian Lennon Julian Charles John Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon; 8 April 1963) is an English musician. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia, and he is named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian in ...

Billy Bob Thornton Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller ''One False Move'', and received international attention after writing, directing, a ...

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

, Chris Robinson,

Eric Church Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's '' Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''Billboar ...

Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...

Pat Monahan Patrick Monahan (born February 28, 1969) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and sole constant member of the band Train. He has collaborated with multiple artists and recorded a solo album, '' Las ...

John Popper John Popper (born March 29, 1967) is an American musician and songwriter, known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, and frontman of the rock band Blues Traveler. Early life John Popper was born in Chardon, Ohio. His father was a Hungarian immig ...

, and

Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack Liddell (; born August 19, 1966) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Her 2000 single, "I Hope You Dance" was a major crossover music hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the Top 15 ...

among others will be available for streaming beginning December 1, 2020.

Tree farmer and conservationist

In addition to his musical career, Leavell is a

tree farm In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are u ...

er in

Twiggs County Twiggs County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,022. The county seat is Jeffersonville. The county was created on December 14, 1809, and named for American Rev ...

outside

, an occupation that began when his wife, Rose Lane Leavell, inherited land in the early 1980s. Together they created Charlane Plantation, now a 2500-acre award-winning Tree Farm and hunting preserve. The Leavells are two-time Georgia Tree Farmers of the Year, and were selected as National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year in 1999. They are staunch supporters of

sustainable forestry Sustainable forest management (SFM) is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable forest management has to keep the balance between three main pillars: ecological, economic and socio-cultural. ...

, conservation and environmental protection. Chuck Leavell wrote his first book, ''Forever Green: The History and Hope of The American Forest'' in 2000. His autobiography, ''Between Rock and a Home Place'' was published in 2005, and is acclaimed as one of the best rock autobiographies ever published. In 2006, Leavell wrote a children's book, ''The Tree Farmer''. His most recent book is ''Growing A Better America: Smart, Strong, Sustainable'' (2011, with J. Marshall Craig), the theme of which is "smart" growth. It has been called one of the best "common sense

environmental books Humans have been writing about the environment for centuries, and the environment has figured prominently as a theme in both Western and Eastern philosophies. Books about or featuring the environment as a prominent theme have proliferated especial ...

of all time". Leavell was appointed by former

Georgia Governor The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legisl ...

Sonny Perdue George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...

to the Georgia Land Conservation Council in 2008. He has also served on the Boards of The American Forest Foundation, The

United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities The U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established at the request of the governments of the United States and Canada in accordance with the terms of the Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 (SLA) between the two ...

and other influential non-profits and makes frequent trips to Washington, D.C. to discuss forestry and environmental policy matters with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. In February 2012, the same month he received the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, he was given an Honorary

Forest Ranger A ranger, park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a law enforcement person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Description "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in thi ...

award from the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

. He has stated that he reveres both of these honors equally. Leavell and

Joel Babbit Joel Babbit (born August 11, 1953) is an American marketing executive and entrepreneur. He currently serves as CEO of Narrative Content Group, which he co-founded in 2009 with Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell." Early life and education B ...

are the co-founders of

The Mother Nature Network Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) was a website with news and information related to sustainability, health, lifestyle, technology, money, food, home, and family. Founded in 2009 by former marketing executive Joel Babbit and The Rolling Stones, Rol ...

, an environmental news and information website that launched in January 2009. The site has grown to be the most visited independent environmental website in the world. Leavell serves as Director of Environmental Affairs, and sits on the board of directors for the company. He hosts two video series on mnn.com: "Love of the Land," in which he discusses sustainability and conservation issues, and "In The Green Room," a series in which he interviews fellow celebrities about the environment and their philanthropic work. Leavell hosts the public television series ''America's Forests with Chuck Leavell''. In 2022, Leavell was recognized as an honorary lifetime member of the

Society of American Foresters The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is a professional organization representing the forestry industry in the United States. Its mission statement declares that it seeks to "advance the science, education, and practice of forestry; to enhance t ...

in recognition of his “commitment to understanding forest management practices, engaging policymakers to support our nation’s forests, and using his platform to communicate the critical benefits and pressing challenges of our forests”.

Educator

In response to requests from fans and teachers alike, Leavell and Howard Citron co-founde
IROCKU
a rock and blues piano instructional website that launched in June 2011. The website includes classic rock and blues piano arrangements, video lessons, and also offers live lessons with stage and session musicians. In August 2017, Leavell and Citron received a United States Patent entitled “ Apparatus, System and Method for Teaching Music and Other Art Forms” related to IROCKU's web-based teaching methodology.

Discography

Solo albums * (1996) ''A Homemade Christmas from Charlane Plantation'' * (1998) ''What's in That Bag?'' * (2001) ''Forever Blue: Solo Piano'' * (2005) ''Southscape'' * (2007) ''Live in Germany: Green Leaves and Blue Notes Tour'' * (2012) ''Back to The Woods: A Tribute to the Pioneers of Blues Piano'' * (2018) ''Chuck Gets Big (with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band)'' Alex Taylor * (1972) ''

'' Sailcat * (1972) '' Sailcat Self-titled'' Gregg Allman * (1973) ''

'' The Allman Brothers Band * (1973) '' Brothers and Sisters'' * (1975) ''

'' * (1976) ''

'' * (1989) ''

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, alth ...

'' Chuck Berry * (1987) ''Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll - (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' Dickey Betts * (1974) ''

'' Aretha Franklin * (1986) ''Aretha'' Sea Level * (1977) ''

'' * (1977) ''

Cats on the Coast ''Cats on the Coast'' was the second album by United States, American rock music, rock band Sea Level (band), Sea Level. It was released in 1977 on Capricorn Records. The leadoff track, "That's Your Secret", reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100, ...

'' * (1978) ''On the Edge'' * (1979) ''Long Walk on a Short Pier'' * (1980) ''Ball Room'' * (1997) ''Best of Sea Level'' Duke Jupiter * (1978) '' Sweet Cheeks'' (producer) The Rolling Stones * (1983) ''

Undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

'' * (1984) ''Rewind (1971–1984)'' * (1986) '' Dirty Work'' * (1989) '' Steel Wheels'' * (1991) '' Flashpoint'' * (1993) ''Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones'' * (1994) ''

'' * (1995) ''

Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...

'' * (1998) ''

No Security ''No Security'' is a live album by the Rolling Stones released by Virgin Records in 1998. Recorded over the course of the band's 1997–1998 worldwide Bridges to Babylon Tour, it was the band's eighth official full-length live release. Not ...

'' * (2002) ''Forty Licks'' * (2004) ''

Live Licks ''Live Licks'' is a double live album by the Rolling Stones and was released in 2004. Coming six years after '' No Security'', this ninth official Rolling Stones full-length live release captures performances from the band's year-long 2002– ...

'' * (2005) ''

A Bigger Bang ''A Bigger Bang'' is the 22nd British and 24th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released through Virgin Records on 6 September 2005. It is their most recent studio album of original compositions to date, though ...

'' * (2005) ''Rarities 1971–2003'' * (2008) '' Shine a Light'' * (2012) ''Light the Fuse'' (a digital download through Google Music) * (2012) ''GRRR!'' * (2013) ''

Hyde Park Live ''Hyde Park Live'' is a live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 2013. It was recorded at Hyde Park, London on 6 and 13 July 2013 during the band's 50 and Counting Tour. The album was released exclusively as a digital download through ...

'' * (2015) ''From the Vault – Live at the Tokyo Dome'' * (2015) ''Sticky Fingers Live'' * (2015) ''Live at Leeds'' * (2016) ''Totally Stripped'' * (2016) ''Havana Moon'' * (2016) '' Blue & Lonesome'' * (2017) ''Sticky Fingers – Live At The Fonda Theatre 2015'' * (2018) ''San Jose '99'' * (2018) ''Voodoo Lounge Uncut'' * (2019) ''Bridges to Bremen'' * (2019) ''HONK'' * (2019) ''Bridges to Buenos Aires'' * (2020) ''Steel Wheels Live'' (10" Vinyl, 2 track, Picture Disc, RSD 2020) * (2020) ''Steel Wheels Live'' * (2021) ''A Bigger Bang Live'' (10" Vinyl, 2 track, RSD 2021) * (2021) ''A Bigger Bang: Live on Copacabana Beach'' * (2022) ''Licked Live in NYC'' The Black Crowes * (1990) '' Shake Your Money Maker'' Eric Clapton * (1992) ''

'' * (1991) ''

24 Nights ''24 Nights'' is the fifth live album by Eric Clapton, compiled from 42 concerts performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, in 1990 and 1991. It was released on 8 October 1991. The cover illustration is by Peter Blake. Backgroun ...

'' Gov't Mule * (1998) '' Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends'' Train * (2001) ''

'' John Mayer * (2012) '' Born and Raised'' * (2013) '' Paradise Valley'' David Gilmour * (2017) ''

Live at Pompeii ''Live at Pompeii'' is a live album and film by David Gilmour, the guitarist of Pink Floyd. It was recorded at the Amphitheatre of Pompeii. It documents his 2015–16 world tour to promote his album, ''Rattle That Lock'' (2015). The conce ...

'' George Harrison * (1992) '' Live in Japan'' Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit * (1992) '' Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit''

Bibliography

* Leavell, Chuck, with Mary Welch. ''Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest''. Evergreen Arts, 2001. . * Leavell, Chuck, with J. Marshall Craig. ''Between Rock and a Home Place''. Mercer University Press, 2004. . * Leavell, Chuck. ''Chuck Leavell: Piano Instruction, Vol. 1'' (DVD) 2005. * Leavell, Chuck, Nicholas Cravotta, and Rebecca Bleau. ''The Tree Farmer''. VSP Books, 2005. . * Leavell, Chuck, with J. Marshall Craig. ''Growing A Better America: Smart, Strong, Sustainable'', Evergreen Arts, 2011.

References

External links

Official website

Chuck Leavell (b. 1952)
''

New Georgia Encyclopedia The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System o ...

'' * Leavell, Chuck
"Family Forestry in Twiggs County, Georgia / Live in Macon at the Douglass Theatre"
''

Southern Spaces ''Southern Spaces'' is a peer-reviewed open-access academic journal that publishes articles, photo essays and images, presentations, and short videos about real and imagined spaces and places of the Southern United States and their connections to t ...

'' February 2006. * Interview and article focusing on Leavell's activism
"Chuck Leavell: Wrapped up in Trees"
''

Crawdaddy! ''Crawdaddy'' was an American rock music magazine launched in 1966. It was created by Paul Williams, a Swarthmore College student at the time, in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music. The magazine ...

'' March 2008.
Interview
''

Marian McPartland Margaret Marian McPartland OBE ( Turner;Hasson, Claire"Marian McPartland: Jazz Pianist: An Overview of a Career" PhD Thesis. Retrieved 12 August 2008. 20 March 1918 – 20 August 2013), was an English–American jazz pianist, composer, and wri ...

Piano Jazz ''Piano Jazz'' is a weekly one-hour radio show produced and distributed by National Public Radio (NPR). It began on June 4, 1978, and was hosted by jazz pianist Marian McPartland (1918–2013) until 2011. It is the longest-running cultural pro ...

'',

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, 4-18-08 *
Mother Nature Network

Chuck Leavell's online piano lessons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leavell, Chuck 1952 births Living people American rock keyboardists Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) American session musicians The Allman Brothers Band members Farmers from Georgia (U.S. state) Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama Capricorn Records artists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American male musicians American male pianists American educators Sea Level (band) members 20th-century American keyboardists Cowboy (band) members