Leavell and Jagger on stage. Photo: Stanislav Milojkovic
Over the past four decades, keyboardist Chuck Leavell has remained the constant sideman to rock ‘n’ roll royalty. It started back in 1972, when Leavell joined the Allman Brothers Band. He’s since toured or recorded with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, the Black Crowes, and countless more musical greats. He’s still a touring member of the Stones, when they hit the road, and when Leavell is not lending his talents to other bands, he’s consistently fostering a prolific solo career.
Even with a resume that exceeds any musician’s wildest dreams, playing piano is just a part of Leavell’s professional accomplishments. The longtime Georgia resident and ardent conservationist is also a sustainable tree farmer on his 2,000-acre Charlane Plantation near Macon. Leavell also founded the popular online magazine, Mother Nature Network, and has written four books about environmental issues, including Growing a Better America: Smart, Strong, Sustainable, released in February.
What’s keeping you busy musically right now? I’m up in New York doing the second round of recording sessions for John Mayer’s new record. He’s a great artist, and the music he’s about to come out with is fantastic.
What’s next with your solo work? I’m 80 percent done with my next solo record. It’s a tribute to pioneering blues piano players from the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. I’ll have some nice guest artists on it, including John Mayer, Keith Richards, Col. Bruce Hampton, and the very interesting banjo player Danny Barnes. I’m hoping to have it out in the early part of this month.
How do you balance time between music and tree farming? When you have passion for something, you make the time to engage in it. I have a sincere interest in conservation issues. People don’t spend as much time outdoors as they should. If they did, we’d have a much healthier country. I get the same feeling of satisfaction when I’m expressing myself on these issues, as I do from playing music on stage.
Tell me about your new book, Growing a Better America. The theme of the book is smart growth. For years, I have been giving talks about what I call the invisible forest health crisis. What I mean by that is the loss of natural land to growth and development. In the Atlanta metro area we lose between 80 and 100 acres a day. From Virginia down to East Texas we lose approximately one million acres a year. I’m not anti-growth, but I think we’re at a critical point where we need to stop and look at how we’re going to continue to grow, as far as energy, transportation, and how we live within our communities. We need to move forward in an intelligent way that focuses on protecting our natural resources.
What prompted you to start the Mother Nature Network? There are many websites out there that deal with the environment, and for the most part, they’re not very engaging or they just focus on one aspect of conservation. Some sites require you to be a scientist to understand what they’re talking about, while others are full of pop-up ads trying to sell you a natural hair tonic. I decided to put together a clean, comprehensive environmental site that’s easy to understand on a range of topics from recycling to what’s happening with our mountains and oceans to how people can get involved and make a difference. We have a talented staff of eco-journalists working out of Atlanta, and they focus on making it fun for people to learn.
With so much on your resume, do you have a favorite musical experience from your vast career? Oh, man. I’ll have to name at least a couple. In 1990, I was touring in Europe with the Stones after the Berlin Wall fell. Feeling the new freedom people were experiencing over there was amazing. We played to 126,000 people in Prague, and there were signs all over the place that said, “Tanks Roll Out, Stones Roll In.” It was special to be involved in such tremendous change. Another unforgettable show was with the Allman Brothers at Watkins Glen in Upstate New York in front of 600,000 people. That was an important time of quiet revolution in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
At any given moment would you prefer to be playing a sold-out stadium with the Stones, or walking in the woods on your plantation in dead silence? What you’ve just described is the great balance I am blessed with, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s such an honor to be able to do what I do musically. Connecting with an audience is an amazing feeling, whether it’s a large or small crowd. But to get away from the long tours and big cities, I need to hear the sound of the wind in the pines and the crunch of leaves under my feet.
Chuck Leavell: A Brief Timeline
1972: Leavell joins the Allman Brothers Band at age 20 and remains with the group until its first break-up in 1976. The band’s first album with Leavell, Brothers and Sisters, hit number one on Billboard’s Pop Chart and includes seminal songs “Ramblin’ Man” and “Jessica.” After the group disbanded, Leavell formed the rock fusion group Sea Level with Allman’s drummer Jaimoe.
1982: Leavell is asked to join the Rolling Stones for tours and recording sessions in a role that remains ongoing.
1992: The keyboardist performs on the taping of Eric Clapton’s MTV Unplugged in England. The resulting album went on to win six Grammy Awards.
1999: Leavell and his wife, Rose Lane, win the National Outstanding Tree Farmer Award.
2001: Leavell publishes his first book, Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest.
2006: Leavell is named to the Georgia Land Conservation Council by Governor Sonny Perdue.