Chuck Leavell (born
Charles Alfred Leavell, April 28, 1952) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
and
keyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, who was a member of
The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band is a Southern rock band once based in Macon, Georgia, United States. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman...
during the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo
Sea LevelSea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...
, a frequently-employed
session musicianSession musicians are instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical ensemble or who have acquired fame in their own right as bandleaders...
, and later, the keyboardist for
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
and
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
.
Born in
Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County and includes part of Shelby County. According to a 2007 estimate, the city had a population of 229,800 The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, as of the 2008 census estimates,...
, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. Inspired by seeing
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his Modern Sounds recordings, as well as a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of...
in concert (with
Billy PrestonWilliam Everett "Billy" Preston was an American soul musician from Houston, Texas, raised mostly in Los Angeles, California...
in the backup band) to pursue a career in the industry, he dropped out of high school.
Chuck Leavell (born
Charles Alfred Leavell, April 28, 1952) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
and
keyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, who was a member of
The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band is a Southern rock band once based in Macon, Georgia, United States. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman...
during the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo
Sea LevelSea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...
, a frequently-employed
session musicianSession musicians are instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical ensemble or who have acquired fame in their own right as bandleaders...
, and later, the keyboardist for
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
and
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
.
Biography
Born in
Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County and includes part of Shelby County. According to a 2007 estimate, the city had a population of 229,800 The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, as of the 2008 census estimates,...
, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. Inspired by seeing
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his Modern Sounds recordings, as well as a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of...
in concert (with
Billy PrestonWilliam Everett "Billy" Preston was an American soul musician from Houston, Texas, raised mostly in Los Angeles, California...
in the backup band) to pursue a career in the industry, he dropped out of high school. Leavell made contacts with
Macon, GeorgiaMacon is a city located in central Georgia, USA. It is among the largest metropolitan areas in Georgia, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. It lies near the geographic center of Georgia, approximately 85 miles south of Atlanta, hence the...
-based
Capricorn RecordsCapricorn Records is an independent record label which was launched by Phil Walden, Alan Walden, and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn became famous for its role in spearheading Southern rock, with The Allman Brothers Band at the forefront, but also including the Marshall Tucker...
, where he met his future wife, and relocated to Georgia.
Leavell joined the
Allman BrothersThe Allman Brothers Band is a Southern rock band once based in Macon, Georgia, United States. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman...
in September 1972, when they decided not to recreate their dual lead guitar sound after the death of
Duane AllmanHoward Duane Allman was an American lead guitarist, co-founder of the Southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band, and respected session musician...
(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 SistersBrothers and Sisters is a 1973 album by The Allman Brothers Band.The group's first album recorded completely after the death of leader Duane Allman, and mostly after the death of bassist Berry Oakley, Brothers and Sisters saw the Allmans reach a commercial peak. The album went to #1 on the U.S...
, and in particular on the heavily-played instrumental "Jessica". However, only one studio album, 1975's
Win, Lose or DrawWin, Lose or Draw is a 1975 album by The Allman Brothers Band.This record was the end of the line for the band at the time. After the very successful Brothers and Sisters two years previously, the group had fallen prey to internal tensions...
followed, again with Leavell's ebullient piano and keyboard work featured, but with a group on the brink of destruction.
While opening shows for the Allman Brothers Band with Allman's bassist
Lamar WilliamsLamar Williams was an American musician, most known as the bassist for The Allman Brothers Band and Sea Level....
and drummer
JaimoeJai Johanny Johanson , frequently known by the stage name Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist...
, Leavell stepped up as a frontman for the first time in his career. After the Allmans disbanding in May 1976, the trio added guitarist Jimmy Nalls and set about touring behind the moniker
Sea LevelSea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...
, 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.
After the group's disbanding, Leavell went to work as a studio musician, within a matter of months joining the Rolling Stones as second road keyboardist behind
Ian StewartIan Andrew Robert Stewart was a Scottish keyboardist and cofounder of The Rolling Stones. He was dismissed from the line-up in May 1963 but he remained as road manager and piano player.- Role in the Rolling Stones :...
for the band's
1982 European TourThe Rolling Stones' European Tour 1982 was a concert tour of Europe to promote the album Tattoo You. It was the European continuation of the long and successful 1981 US tour, and promoted by Bill Graham.-Tour band:*Mick Jagger - vocals, guitar...
. After Stewart's 1985 death, Leavell occupied the role of the group's road keyboardist by himself, frequently playing on studio recordings as well. He continues to go on tour with the Stones, as of 2006 as part of their record-grossing
A Bigger Bang TourThe Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour was a worldwide concert tour which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album A Bigger Bang. The group played over 130 different songs on it...
. He serves as the unofficial "musical director" for the band and devises each night's
set listA set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play during a specific concert performance...
with
Mick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is a Golden Globe and Grammy Award winning English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, occasional film producer and actor, best known for his work as lead vocalist and frontman of The Rolling Stones.The Rolling Stones started in the early 1960s as a...
. "It's my job to keep Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie all happy", Leavell says on his web page.
In addition to his work with the Rolling Stones, Leavell has worked with
George HarrisonGeorge Harrison MBE was an English rock guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian mysticism, and helped broaden the horizons of the other Beatles, as well as...
,
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
,
Gov't MuleGov't Mule is a rock and jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project. They released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
,
TrainTrain is a Grammy Award-winning rock band formed in San Francisco, California. To date, three of their albums have peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and have sold a total of over 4 million albums in the US. Three of their songs have been top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including their...
,
The Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American, blues-oriented hard rock jam band that has sold over 20 million albums. They were hailed by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". In 1990, the readers of Rolling Stone named it the 'Best New American Band'...
,
Montgomery GentryMontgomery Gentry is an American country music duo composed of vocalists Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. Both brothers and Gentry were originally members of a country band which had local success in clubs throughout the state of Kentucky...
, and countless others in the studio and on the road in addition to recording three solo albums. Leavell's unique talent can be heard most prominently on Clapton's "Unplugged" record as he tears through the keyboard solo on the song 'Old Love'.
In 2003, Leavell participated in the annual improvisional musical experiment known as Zambiland Orchestra in Atlanta.
Leavell was inducted into the
Georgia Music Hall of FameThe Georgia Music Hall of Fame, located in downtown Macon, Georgia, preserves and interprets the state's rich musical heritage through programs of collection, exhibition, education and performance...
in 2004. He is also a member of the
Alabama Music Hall of FameFirst conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a . after a state-wide referendum in 1987...
.
Leavell is a
tree farmA tree farm is a privately owned forest managed for timber production. The term tree farm is also used to refer to plantations and to tree nurseries.-American tree farm system:...
er in Twiggs County outside
Macon, GeorgiaMacon is a city located in central Georgia, USA. It is among the largest metropolitan areas in Georgia, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. It lies near the geographic center of Georgia, approximately 85 miles south of Atlanta, hence the...
, an occupation that began when he inherited land in the early 1980s. Owner with his wife of
Charlane Plantation, he is a two-time Georgia Tree Farmer of the Year, and is a staunch supporter of conservation and environmental protection. In 2006, Leavell wrote a children's book,
The Tree Farmer. In 2006 Leavell was appointed by Governor
Sonny PerdueSonny Perdue is the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
to the Georgia Land Conservation Council.
Leavell enjoys "giving back" to the community of his birth. In 1992, he played on a record titled "Mr. President," which was produced by noted Birmingham jazz keyboardist and vocalist
Ray ReachRaymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...
for the purpose of raising money for the homeless in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Chuck and several other well-known Alabama musicians (including
Wayne PerkinsWayne Perkins is a rock and R & B guitarist, singer, songwriter and session musician. He was the oldest of six children, a brother and four sisters. Both of his parents sang and played guitar...
, Chuck Tilley,
Charlie HaywardCharlie Hayward is a bass guitarist from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, now residing near Nashville, Tennessee. For over 30 years, Charlie has been a member of the Charlie Daniels Band....
and
Kelley O'NealKelley O'Neal is an American saxophonist and studio musician, and former member of two Grammy Award winning musical groups. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, he now resides in Atlanta, Georgia.- Educational achievements :...
) donated their time for this worthy project.
In an April 2007 radio interview on WOR-AM, Leavell said his three favorite contributions to songs in his career were "Jessica" with the Allmans, "Old Love" on
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person ever to be inducted three times...
's
UnpluggedUnplugged is an album by Eric Clapton released in 1992. It was recorded live in England for the MTV Unplugged series and includes acoustic versions of both the hit single "Tears in Heaven" and a heavily reworked "Layla"...
, and "Already Over Me" from the Rolling Stones' "Bridges to Babylon" record.
On March 20, 2008, Chuck 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 FameThe Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame 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 distinctive art form indigenous to America...
(in the historic
Carver TheatreThe Carver Theatre, now formally known as the Carver Performing Arts Center, is a theater located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. In its days as a motion picture theater, it was best known as a place where African-Americans could see first-run movies; during that time, only whites were allowed in...
in the
Birmingham Civil Rights DistrictThe Birmingham Civil Rights District is an area of downtown Birmingham, Alabama where several significant events in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s took place...
). Chuck performed at this ceremony, accompanied by the
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-StarsThe Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars is a working jazz ensemble, featuring some of the finest jazz musicians Alabama has to offer...
directed by
Ray ReachRaymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...
. Also, at the same ceremony, a BAMA Award was bestowed upon keyboardist / producer
Peter WolfPeter Wolf is a multiple Grammy nominated composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. He was awarded the highest honor for artists from his birth country of Austria, the Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst .-Early years:Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of...
.
In April 2008, Leavell performed with a supergroup which opened for
Chuck BerryCharles Edward "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.Chuck Berry is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music...
in Boston. The concert raised money for artists struggling with addiction.
Leavell and Joel Babbit are the co-founders of
The Mother Nature NetworkThe Mother Nature Network, MNN.com, is an environmental news and information website founded in 2008 by Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell and former marketing executive Joel Babbit...
, an environmental news and information website that launched in January 2009. Leavell serves as director of environmental affairs and sits on the board of directors for the new company. He hosts two video series on
mnn.com: "Love of the Land," in which he discusses sustainability and conservation issues, and "The Green Room," a series in which he interviews fellow celebrities about the environment and their philanthropic work.
Solo albums
- (1998) What's in That Bag?
- (2001) Forever Blue: Solo Piano
- (2005) Southscape
- (2007) Live In Germany-Green Leaves and Blue Notes Tour
The Rolling Stones
- (1995) Stripped
- (1998) No Security
No Security is a live album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1998. Recorded over the course of the lengthy 1997–1998 worldwide Bridges to Babylon Tour, it is the band's sixth official full-length live release....
- (2008) Shine a Light
External links