How Jimmy Carter Bonded With the Allman Brothers
Chuck Leavell remembers when he and the rest of the Allman Brothers Band heard that Gov. Jimmy Carter of Georgia wanted to drop by and visit them at Capricorn Studios in Macon in 1973, when Southern rock groups were on the rise.
They figured it was just a photo op. "In fact, he stayed like two hours," said Mr. Leavell, a keyboardist who was 21 at the time and had little acquaintance with politics.
"He listened. He was really into the music we were doing. He asked questions about the recording process, the state of the music business. He expressed his love for the music."
That session was the beginning of an enduring relationship between the uptight Southern Baptist and the hard-partying band famous for its iconic slide guitar sound, extended concert jams and hits such as "Ramblin' Man." The relationship proved particularly beneficial when Mr. Carter ran for president a few years later and the Allman Brothers were arguably the hottest band in the country. Looking for help building what seemed a quixotic quest at the time, Mr. Carter enlisted the band as partners in fund-raising at a benefit concert on Nov. 25, 1975, in Providence, R.I.
"First of all, I'm running for president," Mr. Carter told the crowd at the civic center, most of whom probably had little idea who he was. "Secondly, I'm going to be elected. Third, this is very important: I need your help. Will you help me? Fourth, I want to introduce you to my friends and your friends, the ones who are going to help me
Chuck Leavell Featured in the USAToday - The Tree Man is a “Notable Documentary”
Tens of thousands in a sold-out stadium are visually stapled to Mick Jagger belting "Start Me Up." But the band's eyes will frequently dart to the snow-haired presence stationed stage right.
Chuck Leavell is perched behind his bank of keyboards, electric piano and organ, his hand occasionally airborne, his glances with Jagger and Keith Richards subtle.
But those aren't just friendly nods. They're meaningful cues, just as a conductor directs an orchestra.
The maestro of the Rolling Stones, Leavell has served as their keyboardist and musical director since the early ‘80s, coming in as a veteran of the Allman Brothers Band and his own jam-rock outfit Sea Level.
“Let’s say there is a song we haven’t done for a while, and I’ve refreshed my memory through the notes and go through soundcheck and I’m looking around at everyone to make sure they remember the parts,” Leavell says. “But when you think about how Mick is engaging the public (on stage), that’s his gig, and sometimes it’s not unusual for him to have a question like, ‘Do I come in here?’ So he can glance at me and with a nod or hand signal (and) I can help him out.”
Leavell has also shared stages and studios with Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, John Mayer and The Black Crowes and is a lauded environmentalist with the notable 2020 documentary “The Tree Man.” He believes that his innately calm demeanor, expressed even more prominently when he returns home to his tree farm in Macon, Georgia, benefits his responsibilities as a behind-the-scenes guardian for the mightiest rock band still performing. CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE
Delta In-Flight Calls Up The Tree Man for an Encore Run!
*The Tree Man is Delta’s longest running documentary.
TREE MAN on EarthxTV
EarthxTV, the Dallas-based television entertainment network dedicated to environmental sustainability, is now available in millions of households in the U.S., U.K., and Europe through distribution deals with Charter Communications, Inc. and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC)in the U.S., Sky and Freeview in the U.K., and M7 in Europe, it was announced today by Rajan Singh, Head of Distribution for EarthxTV. The deals mark the launch of the. The 24/7 linear network caters to audiences increasingly attuned to those pressing issues affecting our planet and The Tree Man certainly fits that model!
The Allman Brothers Band’s Chuck Leavell Talks “Jessica” 50 Years Later How The Allman Brothers Answered Tragedy with the World’s Happiest Song
“The piano solo in ‘Jessica’ is one of the greatest pieces of music I’ve ever heard in my life,” says actor Billy Bob Thornton in the 2020 documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. Chuck, Thornton explains, “plays another song within the song.” The euphoric peak, no less—though Betts’ guitar solo will also make your insides tingle.
“The piano solo in ‘Jessica’ is one of the greatest pieces of music I’ve ever heard in my life,” says actor Billy Bob Thornton in the 2020 documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. Chuck, Thornton explains, “plays another song within the song.” The euphoric peak, no less—though Betts’ guitar solo will also make your insides tingle.
The thing that astonishes me most about “Jessica,” however—more than any of its bravura musicianship—is that it exists at all. I was relieved to find that I am not alone in feeling that it is the sunniest piece of music I’ve ever experienced. “It’s the happiest song I’ve ever heard,” said the band’s producer Johnny Sandlin in One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band. “It still makes me smile every time I hear it.” Alan Paul, author of One Way Out and, later, Brothers and Sisters, concurs, writing: “‘Jessica’ is a contender for the world’s happiest song, reflecting its origins.” READ FULL ARTICLE
Chuck Leavell: Bringing Music and Tales from a Rock-and-Roll Life to GPAC, Mempho
Chuck Leavell, a keyboardist of no small accomplishment, hit a rough patch at the turn of the 1980s. As he neared the age of 30, the best option in his life seemed to be … farming? Granted, he loved the tree farm near Macon, Georgia, that he’d settled on. But, as his wife Rose Lane notes in The Tree Man, a documentary on Leavell’s life, “Chuck comes in; he’s kind of downtrodden a little bit because his life isn’t going the way he wanted it to. He said, ‘I’m just gonna not do my piano. I’m just gonna have a farm; We’re gonna live out here on the farm, everything’s gonna be great.’ And I’m going, ‘No, it’s not going to be like that.’” Rose Lane knew something Leavell didn’t: She’d received a phone call earlier, arranging to have Leavell audition for the Rolling Stones.
Chuck Leavelll
Flailing musicians take heart at this tale: Chuck Leavell, a keyboardist of no small accomplishment, hit a rough patch at the turn of the 1980s. As he neared the age of 30, the best option in his life seemed to be … farming? Granted, he loved the tree farm near Macon, Georgia, that he’d settled on. But, as his wife Rose Lane notes in The Tree Man, a documentary on Leavell’s life, “Chuck comes in; he’s kind of downtrodden a little bit because his life isn’t going the way he wanted it to. He said, ‘I’m just gonna not do my piano. I’m just gonna have a farm; We’re gonna live out here on the farm, everything’s gonna be great.’ And I’m going, ‘No, it’s not going to be like that.’” Rose Lane knew something Leavell didn’t: She’d received a phone call earlier, arranging to have Leavell audition for the Rolling Stones. - Written by Alex Greene
THE TREE MAN FLYING HIGH ON DELTA IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Delta Air Lines In-Flight Entertainment is adding our award winning film, The Tree Man with Chuck Leavell for the summer months of June, July and August. There is an estimated 57 million travelers ✈️ during this time! Please give it a watch when you fly 🙏🍿
Delta Air Lines In-Flight Entertainment is adding our award winning film, The Tree Man with Chuck Leavell for the summer months of June, July and August. There is an estimated 57 million travelers ✈️ during this time! Please give it a watch when you fly 🙏🍿
Screenings Held for Arkansas Episodes of ‘America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell’ and award winning film ‘The Tree Man’
The Arkansas-filmed episodes of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell will be premiered in free, back-to-back screenings Thursday, April 21, in Fayetteville and Bentonville. These half-hour episodes highlight what’s exceptional about Arkansas through interviews with an array of stakeholders in the forest culture and economy in regions around the state.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
The Arkansas-filmed episodes of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell will be premiered in free, back-to-back screenings Thursday, April 21, in Fayetteville and Bentonville. These half-hour episodes highlight what’s exceptional about Arkansas through interviews with an array of stakeholders in the forest culture and economy in regions around the state.
A screening event for the University of Arkansas campus community will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. April 21 in Vol Walker Hall. A public screening event will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. that day at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. There is no cost to attend the Crystal Bridges event; registration is available at: https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/april-film-americas-forests/
These screenings are presented through a collaboration between the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Crystal Bridges, and the producers of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. Each event will include a conversation with Leavell, as well as a short performance of music from his career. Each event also will include a screening of a 30-minute version of the documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, which shows how Leavell divides his talents between music, forests and family.
ESPN with Marty & McGee
Chuck was on Marty & McGee ESPN TV & Radio. Marty and McGee give The Tree Man BIG PROPS towards the end of the interview!
Chuck was on Marty & McGee ESPN TV & Radio. Marty and McGee give The Tree Man BIG PROPS towards the end of the interview!
I've played keyboard for The Rolling Stones for 40 years — here's what my life is like on and off tour
Chuck Leavell - I've played keyboard for The Rolling Stones for 40 years — here's what my life is like on and off tour
Chuck Leavell in Business Insider today. The Tree Man 🎥 with a mention and a couple Allen Farst 📷 pictures. #rollingstones #TheTreeMan #chuckleavell
Rolling Stones Detroit tour stop ‘miracle’ after ‘gut punch’ of drummer’s death
Chuck Leavell, 69, has been a mainstay in The Rolling Stones lineup since the early 1980s, serving as musical director on tour and providing his keyboard wizardry on the band’s studio albums. So returning to the stage with the likes of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood after a long hiatus has been electrifying, he said.
DETROIT — When the Rolling Stones rolled into Detroit earlier this week for one of the final stops on their much-ballyhooed “No Filter” tour, it marked another incredible milestone for the venerable band that’s been rocking stages for 59 years.
Longtime Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell called it “not much short of a miracle” that the legendary band’s mammoth U.S. “No Filter” tour had happened at all.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘miracle’ tour set for Detroit after ‘gut punch’ of Charlie Watts’ death
In a revealing Local Spins interview, long-standing keyboardist Chuck Leavell talks about the thrill of playing with the iconic band, moving forward without Charlie Watts and the upcoming 60th anniversary.
In a revealing Local Spins interview, long-standing keyboardist Chuck Leavell talks about the thrill of playing with the iconic band, moving forward without Charlie Watts and the upcoming 60th anniversary. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
The Rolling Stones’ Chuck Leavell on the loss of Charlie Watts, being back on tour
The Rolling Stones
ArtsATL November 8th, 2021
Middle Georgian Chuck Leavell is widely considered the greatest rock ’n’ roll pianist of his generation.
He was 20 years old when he joined The Allman Brothers Band and played the iconic solo on “Jessica” on the group’s breakthrough Brothers and Sisters album. His piano also fueled Gregg Allman’s signature album, Laid Back, and as well as Eric Clapton’s Grammy-winning Unplugged DVD and album.
Leavell has spent the past 40 years as a mainstay in The Rolling Stones, and evolved into the band’s music director a few decades back.
The Tree Man, Chuck Leavell on CNBC
The Tree Man, Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones) was on CNBC this week. Cool interview- talks about his film at the end of the interview. Click here to watch film WATCH-
Special Screening of the Tree Man at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science IMAX Theater
Chuck Leavell in Ouray , Colorado
Celebrating our Public Lands: Oct. 21 Screening Event to Feature Films starring Chuck Leavell
Double feature showing at Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver, CO - On Thursday, Oct. 21, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science IMAX Theater will screen two short feature films and episodes that highlight accomplishments in their conservation and care, including Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man and America’s Forests with Chuck Leave celebrates the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
The Oct. 21 event will take place from 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Following the screenings, a fireside chat will be held to discuss "What's Happening on Colorado's Forests", moderated by Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and featuring Bud Wudtke, Executive Director Intermountain Forest Association, Jacqueline Buchanan Deputy Regional Forester Region 2 US Forest Service, and Greg Nelson, Mayor of Ouray, Colorado. The event is free and open to the public, with registration required at chooseoutdoorsscreening.eventbrite.com. The event also will be offered virtually.
Chuck Leavell may be best known as the keyboardist and musical director for The Rolling Stones, but he is also an educated and enthusiastic forestry advocate, conservationist and tree farmer. The first film of the evening, Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, shows how he divides his talents between music, forests and family.
Leavell also is host of the made for TV series, America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. He serves as the on-camera guide, traveling across the country to interview people who are passionate about the gifts we receive from our forests as part of the national TV series, The second showing is an episode from the series that shines a light on the 50-year tradition in which the USDA Forest Service provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building during the holidays. The 2020 tree was provided by the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) on the Western Slope of Colorado. Leavell follows the journey – from selection and cutting to ornament making and community celebrations – as the Tree makes its way from Colorado to Washington, D.C. Leavell also learns about the multiple uses of this winter wonderland by sharing adventures and hearing from staff from the USDA Forest Service.
“The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is a mechanism for the nation to come together during this magical time of year and to celebrate one of our most treasured resources”, said Leavell. “Whether for building or for recreation, our forests are good for the economy and for the spirit.”
RELIX MAGAZINE JULY ‘22
Relix Magazine’s 4 page spread in the June/July ‘22 issue just dropped to the public. Get your copy today OR CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man is the cover story in the new digital issue of Blues Music
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man is the cover boy in the new digital issue of Blues Music Magazine. Just click on this link & follow the prompts to read it: https://bluesmusicstore.com/bmo_may_05_21/
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, A World-Class Keyboard Player
Written by Ray Chelstowski - Copper Magazine
Rock and roll documentaries have become fairly predictable. Over the past year alone I think I must have watched about two dozen. They tend to follow a formula, and if the focus of the film is pretty well-known, it’s likely that you won’t leave the viewing having learned much more than you already knew going in. That’s not the case with Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. This is the story of the legendary keyboardist, often described as the “Fifth Rolling Stone.” What sets it apart is the manner in which it showcases Leavell’s talent and body of work, and reveals his love of nature, his commitment to family, and his remarkable sense of humanity. There’s a balance to the film that’s rare and ironically metaphoric to how Chuck Leavell leads his life. CLICK FOR PART I and CLICK FOR PART II
Moderator Mara Davis, Chuck Leavell, Allen Farst with Special Guest Warren Haynes & Host Kristi York Wooten
You can now watch the replay of the conversation with legendary Georgia musician Chuck Leavell and filmmaker Allen Farst as we discuss their new documentary, Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, featuring interviews with the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Carter and more. This event included a musical performance by Chuck Leavell and commentary by musician Warren Haynes. Moderated by Mara Davis with special guest Melissa Ruggieri from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Host: Kristi York Wooten
FEEDBACK the president of the Georgia Broadcaster's Association sent us an email to say “today's event was his "favorite hour" since the pandemic began!”
Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man Discussion
WHEN - Wednesday, 03.17.2021 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us for a conversation with legendary Georgia musician Chuck Leavell and filmmaker Allen Farst as we discuss their new documentary featuring interviews with the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Carter and more. This event includes a musical performance by Chuck Leavell and commentary by musician Warren Haynes.
