Twenty years ago Rose Lane Leavell closed her longtime Macon clothing boutique to tour with her husband, Chuck, a keyboardist who has played with the Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, and, for more than 30 years, the Rolling Stones. On the heels of the Stones’ Latin American tour, Rose Lane, 67, chatted about her glam life as the “go-to girl backstage,” where she helps wrangle band members and assists with hair and makeup.
Hails from
Charlane Plantation, about 20 miles southeast of Macon.
Early ambition
My mother, Rosaline, taught me to sew in the first grade. Later I started making all of my clothes. I am 5 foot 11, and in the 1950s there was nothing in stores that fit me.
Boutique life
I had a clothing store for 20 years in Macon called Cornucopia that carried designers like Betsey Johnson and Norma Kamali.
Style secret
I shop everywhere from Armani to Target. It’s not what you wear, but how you wear it.
Fashion inspiration
My grandmother. She always had a feather in her hat and a mink coat on her shoulder.
Celeb crush
Jane Fonda. I recently watched her in Grace and Frankie. She has a timeless style, and she’s the quintessential modern-day older woman.
On the road
Pack mismatched things that you can put together and look like you have a new outfit. A good pair of black pants—my favorite are a very tight pair from Armani—and a knee-length skirt go a long way.
Trickle-down style
My daughter Amy was born when we were touring with the Allman Brothers. We were around hippies who wore long skirts, gauzy tops, and hip hugger jeans, and Amy is a hippie girl. My daughter Ashley was born when we were touring with the Stones. They’re European, so she was Miss Sophistication.
Label you love
Sarah Pacini, out of Belgium. I have a sheer top that goes down all the way to my knees; it comes with glitter overlays.
Country life
My grandmother left me her home in Twiggs County, along with some forestland. My husband and I moved there in 1981. We were the American Forest Foundation’s Tree Farmers of the Year in 1999.
Perfect jewels
My number one thing is pearls. I love pearl bracelets—I load them on—and I have all kinds of necklaces. Black pearls are my favorite.
Photograph by Ben Rollins
Backstage Kit
Rose Lane purchased this leather pouch from a boutique in New Orleans and stashes all her roadie essentials inside.
This article originally appeared in our June 2016 issue.