It's a well known fact that Chuckie is one of the most hated people on the planet. From a techincal standpoint why has he survived when Ian was dropped like a hot potato after the 82 tour?

Easy, the Stones can't play without him. Mission : stop the holes

Chuck isn't hated.
He's just the wrong choice... and you can't blame him, can you?
Wouldn't you join the line up if they asked you?

I don't blame Chuckie at all....who is the correct choice? The Stones have always used disposable keyboard players until Chuck. Hopkins, Preston and Ian didn't hang around very long.

Shawn!

Not only are you giving Chuck Leavell a harsh critic here, but you also give miscredit to Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie saying that they don't have the ability to choose good musicians to play in the band. YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT THIS!

First of all, Ian Stewart hung around for a really long time and he played the piano in a boogie woogie style that made the Stones groove. He was actually called the "6th Stone" by people in the band and around the band.

Nicky Hopkins was an obvious choice when Ian sadly had died. He was also a boogie woogie kind of player. Billy Preston was at the time he played with the Stones a very good pianoplayer. Why he didn't stay I can't tell

Chuckie has stayed and he will stay until it all finishes sometime by 2007.

HJofSweden

Are you a kind of a person who just hate or love and can`t see nothing between those words? Don`t waste time to hate something that ain`t responsible of war or evilness.

Chuckie is Rock´n´Roll through and through. Have you see him going wild at the end of his plinking Honky Tonk Women solo at the HBO show 2003? He´s shaking his bearded head like crazy and has a evil look in his eyes. Wow.

Ian Stewart played with the Stones from 1962 until 1985, and wasn't really available for the 1989 tour. Nicky Hopkins played from 1968 until 1980 with the Stones, and had to stop touring due to severe health problems (from which he died in 1993). Preston played with the Stones from 1970 until 1977 and was dropped as he was taking the Stones away from the typical Stones sound. Ian McLagan was dropped for the 1982 tour due to drinking and drugs problems.

Allthough I don't like Chuck's style of playing, he was the right person for the Stones in 1989. Jagger didn't want to tour with the "typical" Stones sets they had done in the 70's and early 80's, and wanted to expand the repertoire with songs you really need a good piano player like Memory Motel, Ruby Tuesday, Paint it Black and whatever we had in the 90's. The Stones had shifted from a raunchy 2-guitarist band to a more sophisticated version in the 90's. As much as I would like the 1978 tour to happen again in 2006, with the current state of the guitarists that is never going to happen.

Mathijs

When I said "Ian" didn't stay around very long, I was speaking of Mr. McLagen, not Mr. Stewart. I personally welcomed the "new" sound employed on the Steel Wheels tour. The background singers, horns, and extra keyboard gave a professionalism to the Stones they had previously lacked. I thought Keith and Ron played great on that tour...and you could actually hear the guitars. I have no problem with the extra players, just turn up the guitars. The guitars are low in the mix for a reason.....it is by design and not by accident. I'm a Billy Preston fan.....I think he stole the show at the Concert for George.

Chuck is NOT HATED BY MOST! He is a good solid piano player and the Stones are lucky to have him and remember, Mick wants him because he is so solid! I loved Ian Stewart and Nicky too but they are gone so stop living in the past!

Debra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I loved Ian Stewart and Nicky too but they
> are gone so stop living in the past!


What about Ian McLagan, he was the greatest (after Ian Stewart!)!

Cheers,
Wuudy

Everyone misses Ian Stewart. Probably because Ian Stewart always sounded alot like Johnnie Johnson. Chuck Leavell always sounded like a country/western piano player. I could see him playing for Shania Twain or any other pop country act, and for that he gets a thumbs down on the list. Look at the videos of the two playing on songs. Ian Stewart never looks up from the piano during songs. He's just banging away. Fully focused, layin those keys to the floor. Chuckie on the other hand keeps looking at the band smiling the whole time. He acts more like the backup dancers, (COUGH COUGH) I mean the backup singers.

Does anyone know a necromancer? We need to ressurect Johnnie Johnson and get him to join the Stones.

Drake

Personally I don't care to much about
Chuck one way or another except I would
like to see the band rely on him less.
Still, he does have his fans dating
back to his Sea Level days. I think
it would be a big overstatement
to say he's one of the most hated
people. Actually most folks wouldn't
even know him, is basically, like him
or not, a session player who's done
good for himself.