brown wooden bridge beside green leafed trees during daytime — Alongside his illustrious music career, Chuck Leavell’s other passion is conservation. (Photo by Amos Gwa on Unsplash)

Chuck Leavell, a Birmingham-born musician, is best known for his role as the keyboardist in The Rolling Stones. What you may not know is that Leavell is also an environmentalist and host of America’s Forests on PBS—a documentary-style program about America’s most beautiful forests and how we can protect them.

Alabama-born music icon turned environmentalist

Born in Birmingham, Chuck Leavell has had a colorful career as a keyboardist for Dr. John, The Allman Brothers Band and eventually The Rolling Stones beginning in 1985. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame member and Birmingham Area Music Award winner has also worked with artists such as:

George Harrison
Eric Clapton
Blues Traveler
John Mayer
Miranda Lambert

Chuck Leavell hosts America’s Forests on PBS

In addition to his music career, Leavell is a tree farmer with a 2,500-acre tree farm and preserve in Macon, Georgia. As supporters of sustainable forestry and conservation, Chuck and his wife Rose Lane have two Georgia Tree Farmers of the Year awards under their belt.

As host of America’s Forests, Leavell focuses on forests across the country and highlights how sustainability creates a better world and community. From the Northwoods of Wisconsin to the Arkansas Delta, America’s Forests demonstrates the importance of keeping our forests beautiful and clean.