Brenau University is pleased to announce “An Evening with Chuck Leavell, ‘The Tree Man’ Film, Songs and Stories,” on July 18. Leavell is the keyboardist and musical director of The Rolling Stones and a former member of The Allman Brothers Band.
You may not recognize the name, but if you know the bouncy piano from The Allman Brothers’ smash hit “Jessica,” the rollicking keyboards on The Black Crowes’ hits “Jealous Again” and “Hard to Handle,” or the signature piano that defines Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” then you know Chuck Leavell.
Tickets are limited for the July 18 event at the Hosch Theatre in Brenau’s Burd Center for the Performing Arts. The performance is supported by the Ivester Programming Endowment and held in conjunction with the Jarrard Burch Foundation. Brenau Trustee Doug Ivester, along with his wife, Kay Ivester, created the Ivester Programming Endowment to enrich Brenau and inspire the Gainesville/Hall County community.
“Bringing an artist of Chuck’s extraordinary stature and talent to Brenau is incredibly exciting,” said Doug Ivester. “World-class performances of this caliber are precisely why we established the Ivester Programming Endowment.”
Considered a Georgia music legend, Leavell has been captivating music fans for more than 40 years. Known for his piano and keyboard work, he has recorded and toured with artists including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, John Mayer, George Harrison, The Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers Band.
Leavell joined The Allman Brothers Band in 1972 at just 20 years old, playing on the iconic album “Brothers and Sisters,” which featured the classics “Ramblin’ Man” and “Jessica.” After forming the band Sea Level, he was invited to join The Rolling Stones in 1982. Keith Richards once said, “Without the continuity that Chuck brings to us, the Stones would not be the Stones.”
“It is a true honor to welcome Chuck Leavell to Brenau this summer for what promises to be an unforgettable evening,” Brenau President David L. Barnett said. “This spectacular event is a direct result of visionary philanthropy, and we are thrilled to share this world-class cultural experience with our campus community and the broader Gainesville community.”
In addition to an intimate concert, the evening includes a screening of a 30-minute portion of the 2020 documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, directed by Alan Farst. The film covers Leavell’s career as a musician and his passions for the environment and sustainability. It features members of The Rolling Stones, other musicians and the late President Jimmy Carter. The film is available to stream on Prime Video.
Leavell taught himself about forestry while on tour in the mid-1980s, and he and his wife turned her family’s land into a tree farm, Charlane Woodlands and Preserve. He is the only two-time recipient of the Georgia Tree Farm of the Year award; in 1999, the Leavells were named the National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year.
Leavell has also been cited by the National Arbor Day Foundation, the Georgia Conservancy, Future Farmers of America and many other conservation organizations, as well as by the University of Georgia. His book, Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest, has been acclaimed by both the forestry and conservation communities and has been nominated for several awards.
This fall, Brenau will also welcome world-renowned author John Philip Newell to campus for open community events. He will discuss themes from two of his best-selling books: The Great Search: Turning to Earth & Soul in the Quest for Healing & Home and Sacred Earth Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World.
