TWIGGS COUNTY, Ga. — While rock-and-roll pianist Chuck Leavell rose to prominence with the Allman Brothers band, his love of music grew out of fun times spent with his mom at a young age.
"I was just fascinated looking at those hands go up and down the keyboard - hearing the beautiful music," Leavell said.
Those early sounds grew into a passion and eventually a trip to Macon, home of Capricorn Studios and the Allman Brothers band.
"We had these jam sessions, which I was a part of, and basically they started liking what I was doing," Leavell said. "I get a call from Phil Walden to come to his office, and I go. And all the guys were in the room, and the shoe dropped. They said, 'It sounds pretty good. You wanna join our band?'"
13WMAZ Anchor Frank Malloy sat down with Chuck Leavell for a wide-ranging conversation about his music, his career and balancing life on the road and on his tranquil tree farm in Twiggs County.
The hookup with the Allman Brothers jump-started Leavell's long musical journey, and it eventually led to an audition with one of the world's most renowned bands: the Rolling Stones.
"I had been a fan, of course, growing up," Leavell said. "When I went for the audition, I said, 'Well, Chuck, you played all these songs when you were 14 and 15 so relax and just play the tunes. You know what they are.'"
Play the tunes he did, producing rich results
"When I did get the gig, I thought 'Wow this is amazing, playing with the Rolling Stones. If this could last three, four, five, years wouldn't that be amazing?'" Leavell said.
It would, however, be a gig that lasted a whole lot longer.
"42 years later," he said, "here we are."
In fact, starting in late April, Leavell will hit the road with the Rolling Stones for an 18-stop U.S. tour.
But over the years, even as Leavell's musical career grew, something else in his heart grew alongside his flourishing career: a love for the land and the place he and his wife of over 50 years, Rose Lane, call home.
It's called Charlane Plantation. It's more than 2,000 acres where Rose's family lived and worked in the heart of Twiggs County. Outside of his musical career, Leavell is a passionate forester, a love he developed from his wife's side of the family.
"They have such a high degree of passion for that work — they love the land," Leavell said. "And so when we got together — 50 years ago — and I began to spend time with the family that became apparent to me, and all of that began to rub off on me."
His work on the land continues to this day. While his music has earned him a Grammy and an Emmy, his life as a tree farmer has also earned Leavell numerous awards, too.
He and his wife were named Georgia Tree Farmers of the Year twice, and in 1999, they won the National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year award.
Beyond the trees to tend to, Charlane Plantation plays another important role in Leavell's life: it's a quiet space where he can recharge after time on the road.
“And then you start thinking what about this house we're living in made of wood, beautiful wood," Leavell said. "What about this fine furniture we're sitting in, and what about that walk in the woods that just relaxes you and makes you — you used the word balance — it helps keeps me balanced."
And there's a lot to balance. Now in his early 70s, Leavell still keeps a crowded calendar.
Between living on the land and living on a tour bus, passion and a love of the craft is at the core of both his life as an arborist and life as a musician.
As he jumps back on the road with the Stones, Leavell is back to tapping on those piano keys in stadiums nationwide.
"They love doin' this. This is food for them. They have to do it," Leavell said. "They don't have to do it economically or financially, but they have to do it for their hearts, for their minds, for their souls and I feel the same way."
So whether he's filling a room with splendid sounds or showing folks how to plant trees, you get the feeling this ride is nowhere near its final destination.
"When I was 14 - 15 years old back in Alabama, I thought man wouldn't it be great if I could make a career out of this," Leavell said. "And fortunately I have it's just been an amazing journey."
Chuck is also a television host on his show America's Forests which airs on PBS. It's just one more hat he wears, begging the question: how does he get to do all these neat things?
"You wanna know the secret," Leavell said. "I work cheap"
Despite it all, Leavell's impact on music — and the land and community he calls home — is anything but cheap.
It's a life well lived in the heart of Twiggs County, in the heart of Georgia and in the eardrums of adoring fans worldwide.
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