You might not know the name Chuck Leavell. But if you know much about rock 'n' roll at all, you've heard his work.
In the '70s, he played piano with the Allman Brothers — his solo on the instrumental "Jessica" is widely considered the greatest rock piano solo ever recorded.
In 1982, he started playing keyboards for the Rolling Stones. Now, he is also the Stones' musical director. Along the way he has played on records and onstage with everyone from George Harrison and Eric Clapton, to John Mayer and the Indigo Girls.
Beyond his music career, he has built a second life as an environmentalist and the owner of a tree farm at his home in Georgia.
Let's keep the conversation going. Send a tweet to @tommytomlinson or @wfae, and use the hashtag #WFAESouthBound. You can also email me at ttomlinson@wfae.org.
Show notes:
- The studio version of "Jessica"
- A killer live version from '86
- Soloing on the Stones' https://vimeo.com/55633214">"Honky Tonk Women"
- Clapton's "Old Love"
- Chuck's website
- The Mother Nature Network
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SouthBound is a production of WFAE. Our host is Tommy Tomlinson. Our producer is Nick de la Canal. Our audience engagement producer is Joni Deutsch, and our main theme comes from Josh Turner.
