Chuck Leavell

Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the jazz rock ensemble Sea Level. He has served as the principal touring keyboardist and de facto musical director of The Rolling Stones since 1982. As a session musician, Leavell has performed on every Rolling Stones studio album released during his tenure with the exception of Bridges to Babylon (1997). He has also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Gov\'t Mule and John Mayer. Dr John\n', ' Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. He started on piano, learning some basics from his mother, Frances Leavell. The Leavell family moved from Birmingham to Montgomery, Alabama when he was five, then back to Birmingham for a few years, finally settling in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1962. He learned to play guitar from his cousin, Winston Leavell, and played tuba in junior high for two years. He started his first band, The Misfitz, in 1966. The Misfitz played a steady gig at the YMCA every Friday night, and eventually were the band for a Saturday morning television show, Tuscaloosa Bandstand. After the breakup of the Misfitz, Leavell did session work, and found himself on his first gold record, a single by Freddie North called "Don\'t Take Her She\'s All I\'ve Got". Leavell also sought out other local musicians to play with and joined The South Camp in 1968. That band included his early mentor, Paul Hornsby, who had played in The Hour Glass, a precursor to The Allman Brothers Band.\n', ' In 1969, Hornsby moved to Macon, Georgia to work for Capricorn Records as a studio musician and producer, eventually producing such artists as The Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie and others. At Hornsby\'s suggestion, Leavell came to Macon and helped form Sundown, which recorded one record on the Ampex label in 1970. That band broke up shortly thereafter, and Leavell found himself doing session work at Capricorn and eventually was tapped to tour with Alex Taylor, James Taylor\'s elder brother. Leavell recorded one record with Taylor, Dinnertime, which was released in 1972. Leavell continued to tour with Taylor for a short time afterwards. When Taylor had a falling out with his manager and the founder of Capricorn, Phil Walden, and quit touring, Leavell found himself playing with Dr. John. Leavell claims this was his "college education."\n', '