Fifty years ago this week, The Rolling Stones played at Georgia Southern in Statesboro and spent a night at the Manger Towne and Country Motor Lodge on Highway 17 in Savannah. Sadly, that was Savannah’s closest brush with the Stones until Friday night at Armstrong State University, where Chuck Leavell — the Stones’ keyboardist of 30+ years and a leading environmentalist — delivered the first Mark Finlay Memorial Lecture, which he wrapped up with three songs on the piano.
After a warm introduction by ASU President Linda Bleicken, Leavell graciously began his talk with remarks about Mark Finlay’s family. Mark would have loved the entire event. For those of you who don’t know: Mark Finlay was a history professor and assistant dean at Armstrong, but his influence extended far beyond any easy description. He was passionate about environmental causes and about music too — he supported events like Savannah Stopover and many times I’d run into him at an obscure rock show, often one that I had previewed in the newspaper or on Savannah Unplugged. Mark was a great scholar and an innovative thinker; I greatly admired his subtle managerial style and valued his friendship. (Mark passed away after a 2013 auto accident.)
Leavell’s resume is almost unbelievable — how does someone get so much done in a lifetime? In addition to his work with the Stones, Leavell’s website notes his work with “Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule, Train, John Mayer” and others, in addition to his solo projects. He also founded the Mother Nature Network, is an active tree farmer, and has written three highly regarded books.
In his opening remarks, Leavell praised the beauty of the Armstrong campus (really, it’s pretty amazing) and said how glad that he and his wife Rose Lane are about buying a house and becoming “part of the Savannah community.”
