Chuck Leavell
He’s been with the Stones for most of their 60 years, but still gets thrills from watching his bandmates on stage.
Interview: Ian Fortnam
Chuck Leavell: living his and millions of others’ dream.
H avingearned his spurs playing keyboards alongside Dr John while still in his teens, Alabamaborn Chuck Leavell joined the Allman Brothers Band as they reached their commercial peak. Following a stint with Sea Level, he was taken on board by the Rolling Stones in 1981, and has appeared on every album since 1983’s Undercover. In addition to having worked alongside Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, the Black Crowes, David Gilmour and George Harrison, he’s also one of the world’s leading authorities on sustainable forestry. It’ll be more a case of keys than trees this summer, though, as he sets out with the Stones in celebration of the band’s 60th anniversary.
How did a southern upbringing shape the man you became?