Crossroads seem to come and go: A conversation with Chuck Leavell
If there ever was a common denominator of the upper echelon of rock-n-roll royalty, it would be Chuck Leavell.
A legendary keyboardist, Leavell was a member of the Allman Brothers Band during its commercial pinnacle in the 1970s and has been the musical director of the Rolling Stones since 1982, as well as storied stints with David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and The Black Crowes, among countless others.
“The truth is — what else are we going to do?” the 71-year-old Leavell chuckled. “This is what we do. It’s food to us, to be able to work, to play, whether it’s in the studio or in-person onstage — it’s inevitable that we do it as long as we reasonably can.”
A performer since he was a teenager, Leavell has always sought after an ideal balance between standing in the spotlight and standing in the depths of Mother Nature. A renowned arborist and conservationist who resides on a 2,500-acree tree farm near Macon, Georgia, Leavell is also the host of the lauded PBS program “America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell.”
“You see the fires in Maui, fires up in Canada, flooding up the [East Coast]. [With the show], we’re hammering home that this is reality,” Leavell noted. “Whether or not people grasp that or whether they care enough to, [we need] to get rules and regulations in order to not burn this spinning ball up — the next generation are the ones that can really save the planet.”
Speaking with The Smoky Mountain News from his farm, dubbed the Charlane Plantation, Leavell is an unrelenting renaissance man in a modern society seemingly gone mad — a world of today where he genuinely holds out hope for a better tomorrow.
Smoky Mountain News: Do you remain optimistic about our world?
Chuck Leavell: I think you have to [be]. If it’s doom and gloom, then nothing gets done and you just throw your hands up. I am optimistic. I think [it] largely depends on the coming generation.
SMN: The bands you’ve been part of — Allmans, Stones — one thing they have in common is a thick thread of the blues, which plays into why the music endues — the blues gets better with age, you grow with it.
CL: I couldn’t have said it better myself. You’re absolutely right. There’s something about the genre that is timeless. What songs have stood the test of time, what songs are out now that will stand the test of time. I mean, those are open questions, but certainly not the ones that are still standing the test of time.
You know, the [Allman Brothers 1973 album] “Brothers and Sisters” just celebrated 50 years. It’s still viable and you still hear it on the radio. And that applies, of course, to the Stones early recordings. The thread is the blues. There’s no doubt about it. It’s a classic form of music. It’s something we all revere and appreciate. It’s been a part of my life ever since I started playing.
SMN: It’s one of those things where the blues is deceptively simple. On the surface, it might come across as simple, but it’s actually quite intricate and with unknown depths.
CL: Absolutely. And then, the spiritual feeling of it. The blues can be happy. The blues can be sad. But, either way, it’s a deep, almost spiritual feeling — when you’re playing it and when people listen to it.
SMN: When you look back at that “Brothers and Sisters” chapter of your life and playing with the Allman Brothers, what really sticks out?
CL: Well, bear in mind, I was 21 years old in 1973 when the record came out. I was just incredibly grateful to have the position at that age. It’s not something, quite frankly, that I expected. But, maybe something that I was preparing for without being all that conscious about it.
I had loved music for a long time, even at that age. And to have the opportunity was just paramount. To play with an established band that had a unique sound and already had a strong following, but that following got bigger and bigger during that era? It’s just gratitude that [the album has] stood the test of time, that people still like to listen to that record.
SMN: And you’re also celebrating 50 years of marriage, too.
CL: Yes, we just passed that in June. It’s quite a milestone and we’re very happy to have sustained this, very happy together. We feel blessed. And we’re also going to celebrate [my wife] Rose Lane’s 75th birthday this year.
SMN: Well, I was wondering if you had thought about the idea of love and how the definition of that word in those 50 years has either remained the same or changed for you?
CL: I think love is something that is developed over time. People fall in love and they get married. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and there’s a change of pace. But, in our case, the love has grown all these 50 years. We have more fun now that we had when we were in our 20s. We enjoy each other’s company more than we did back then.
It’s a different phase of life [now]. You’re not going to be doing the same thing in your 70s as you did in your 20s. But, that’s what I mean about the growth factor. You find other things in love that turn you on, that make you happy. And, for us, our growing family, the grandchildren are certainly a part of that love and that growth. We count our blessings each and every day — it’s been a remarkable trip.
Did I think we would reach this milestone? You know, I kind of always thought we would. For some reason, I felt, “Hey, you know, I think we have the wherewithal to make it” — and we have.
Want to go?
The annual Highlands Food & Wine festival will take place Nov. 9-12 at various venues around the town.
Alongside a slew of culinary tastings, demonstrations and gatherings, there will be live music performed by marquee acts such as Chuck Leavell, Grace Potter, The War & Treaty, Katie Pruitt, End Of The Line, Southern Avenue and more.
For more information, a full schedule of events and/or to purchase tickets, go to highlandsfoodandwine.com