Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell (born Charles Alfred Leavell, April 28, 1952) is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band during the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. Inspired by seeing Ray Charles in c... more

Chuck Leavell (born Charles Alfred Leavell, April 28, 1952) is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band during the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Leavell is a mostly self-taught musician. Inspired by seeing Ray Charles in concert (with Billy Preston in the backup band) to pursue a career in the industry, he dropped out of high school. Leavell made contacts with Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records, where he met his future wife, and relocated to Georgia. Leavell joined the Allman Brothers in September 1972, when they decided not to recreate their dual lead guitar sound after the death of Duane Allman (who had died the previous October), but rather to use a different instrument as the second lead. Leavell's work was most prominent on the band's popular 1973... less