Between Rock And A Home Place
Author: Chuck Leavell With J. Marshall Craig
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Reviewed: January, 2010

If you love music; if you love the stories behind some of the greatest artists and their recordings; if you love learning about the personal lives of artists, then Chuck Leavell’s Between Rock And A Home Place is a must read for you.

Leavell, keyboardist for The Rolling Stones for twenty-eight years and counting, has performed and recorded with some of the most iconic names in music – especially rock and roll. From his days with The Allman Brothers (that’s his ivory work on the classic, Jessica) to some of his more current contributions, this piano prodigy has seen and done it all.

And while all the music history in this tome is fascinating, what I found particularly intriguing is Chuck’s extensive knowledge and work in the area of forestry and conservation. It blew my mind and piqued my interest in the subject. What you’ve got to understand is that I am not what one would commonly think of as one who would normally be interested in those subjects. However, Leavell’s telling of his work to build his family home and business, Charlane Plantation (his wife, Rose Lane, being the third generation to own the property), into a thriving tree farm and retreat is just downright fascinating.

While many celebrities merely pay lip service to the idea of the environment and the earth’s resources, Chuck Leavell has literally put his money where his mouth is. Not only that, it’s obvious that he puts real world intelligence into his philosophy of conservation. Being the realist that he is, Leavell recognizes the economic reality of responsible harvesting of trees and their replenishment. He knows that mankind relies on products that come from trees as well as the jobs directly to the forest and lumber industries.

While the book was published in 2004 and lots has happened in all aspects of Chuck Leavell’s life, career and business, Between Rock And A Home Place is still very much of an entertaining and informative read. You’ll definitely want this book in your personal library.