European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse The stones piano Man Chuck Leavell sat casually on a Bench outside the stadium in Frankfurt sunday unrecognized by the hundreds of people who passed by on their Way in to see the rolling stones. Soon Leavell would be on stage with the legendary quintet playing a key role in the band s concert. Leavell is the piano playing sideman who has performed on a number of stones albums and Tours during the past eight years. He s co written a song with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards a Back to Zero from the album dirty work a and he appeared on Jagger a Solo album she s the Boss and Richards talk is cheap. He was also chosen by Richards to perform in aretha Franklin a jumping Jack Flash single and video and in the All Star band Richards put together to Back Chuck Berry in the film Hail Hail Rock n Roll. Not a bad resume for a Guy who owns a Pine tree farm in dry Branch ga., a Village just East of Macon. But then Leavell 38, has been leading a storybook life As Rock n Roll sideman. Since the age of 15, he s recorded with soul Man Freddy North Hank Williams jr., the Marshall Tucker band Dion and Dave Edmunds among others. He s toured with or. John and he a backed Ray Charles Little Richard Jerry Lee Lewis to diddle and . King. He spent four years with the Allman Brothers and two years with the fabulous thunderbird. Chuck Leavell plays a key role in the stones. In his spare time Leavell had his own band sea level which recorded four albums in the 1970s. The role of sideman suits Leavell just Fine. Quot i thrive on working with other people. To me that a every bit More satisfying than if i was Mick Jagger if i had the spotlight on me All the time Quot he said. Quot i quite like my anonymity and i get to play with All these different a native of Birmingham ala., Leavell began playing piano As a child inspired by his Mother. Mostly self taught he formed his first band at age 13 and played songs by the stones the animals and rhythm amp blues artists. He came to the stones attention through word of Mouth. Bill Graham promoter of the stones 1982 tour had been a fan of the Allman Brothers remembered the piano player and suggested him for the tour. Since then Leavell said he a graduated to an assistant musical directorship role with the band he helps with song arrangements and assists with vocal rehearsals for the backup singers. On stage Leavell is free to improvise. That helps combat the boredom that comes with playing the same songs night after night he said. During i can t get no satisfaction for instance he might sustain notes Over the main guitar Riff or add an extra melodic line that would complement the Bass or drum licks. In Midnight rambler one of the stones Only True Jam songs he improvises almost every night playing a gospel style one night and a blues style the next. Quot ill make it a Point of not playing it the same every night because to my mind you can go crazy if you do Quot Leavell said. Quot i Don t try to steal the show and play too much a ill get my hands slapped. But if i can play something Nice that augments Mick s voice that s what it s All with 39 albums of songs to choose from Leavell said selecting the material for the stones tour was an Quot excruciating during two months of rehearsals the band members Cut the number Down to about 36 songs from which they play about 24 at each show. A one of the fun parts was getting to play All those old rolling stones songs Quot Leavell recalled. Quot we played Well Over 100 songs to see what might be a Leavell could t say whether the european tour would be the stones final one. His guess he said was that there would t be any stones activity for quite some time. But that s All right by him he has his own projects to work on. Quot i have yet to do Chuck Leavell s album Quot he said and then there s always his Pine tree farm in dry stones p Eter Dougherty says he s the no. 1 rolling stones fan and that May just be a fact. On sunday Dougherty saw his 41 St rolling stones concert when the band performed in Frankfurt. Quot i just think they really Are the greatest Rock a no Roll band in the world Quot said the 46-year-old, self employed Coin dealer from new York City. Dougherty who first saw the stones at new Yorkus Madison Square Garden in 1965, has been following the group around Europe since the tour kicked off in Rotterdam Netherlands May 18. So far he said he saw All shows in Rotterdam both shows in Hannover West Germany and both shows in Frankfurt. Quot i Wasny to going to come to Germany at All Quot Dougherty said Quot but i keep going a one More one Quot earlier this year Dougherty flew to Tokyo where he saw five of the stones 10 sold out concerts. And during the bands 60-Date Quot steel wheels Quot tour of the United states last year he saw at least 15 concerts including the opening show in Philadelphia in August. Quot in be never been disappointed. Its never been Boring Quot Dougherty said. Quot i still look Forward to every . Dougherty who on sunday wore a to shirt from the stones Tokyo concerts pays his own Way when he a following in the band s footsteps. Tickets to the shows plane and train fares and food and lodging expenses come out of his own pocket. Though in Frankfurt he stayed at the same hotel As the band members a the exclusive resort style Kempinski hotel located in the Countryside just South of the City a he usually gets a cheaper place downtown. Quot i spend much More of my income than i should Quot he admitted. Quot i guess that a Why in a ready to agree that it s an obsession because the percentage of my income that goes to this is not right. But i still do _ Dougherty makes no claims to being a walking reference Book on the stones. He does no town All of the bands albums though he has a few Choice souvenirs he said including guitar picks from Keith Richards and Ron Wood and one of Woods self portraits. Quot i m not set out to be in the guinness Book of world records or be Able to go on the $64,000 question Quot he said. Quot i m just me who loves to listen to a and if i can see a the rolling stones in of the 41 times that he a seen the stones in action Dougherty a favorite was on july 26, 1972, in Madison Square Garden. It was Mick Jagger s 29th birthday and at the end of the show a giant Multi tiered cake was wheeled out on stage along with two super magnum bottles of Champagne. Suddenly Richards grabbed a handful of cake and threw it in Jagger s face Dougherty said. The other three band members joined in and Jagger hosed them Down with the Champagne. Quot i can remember seeing cake and icing As far Back As Charlie Watts Drums. The audience wound up getting sprayed with the Champagne also Quot Dougherty recalled. Quot then the stones proceeded to play As far As i know the Only real encore they Ever did. It seems to me that encore lasted 45 or 50 Dougherty who is married but has no children said his wife supports his stones fanaticism in fact she helped him meet Jagger. It was in a restaurant on Long Island two nights before the Start of the Quot steel wheels Quot tour. Dougherty said he had resisted the temptation of asking for an autograph but As Jagger was leaving Dougherty s wife called out to the Singer. Quot he turned to our table. And i just told him i want to thank you and the rest of the stones for All of the thousands of hours of pleasure you be Given me in my life Quot Dougherty recalled. Quot by the look on his face i had the feeling that nobody had Ever said that to him before. And he knew i meant it from the Bottom of my heart. He came Over to my table and Shook my hand. Quot As childish As it May seem that was a very big moment in my Dougherty said he s not done seeing the stones in Europe. He expects to catch their shows in London Paris and Scandinavia a and probably at a few other stops. But at some Point hell have to Fly Back to the United states. Peter Dougherty of new York City has been following in the stones footsteps. A i be got to go Home to make some Money Quot he said. Wednesday May 30, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17
