Levon Helm Dies

Last week we heard that Levon Helm was close to death from throat cancer. One of the cool men of rock and roll Helm had a very colorful history in rock and roll. As the news was confirmed two days later that Helm had died the tributes started flowing in and have not stopped.

Helm, born in Arkansas, joined up with Ronnie Hawkins in the early sixties and traveled to Canada and joined the backup band known as The Hawks. Soon enough this band included all the members of what would come to be known as The Band. Danko, Manuel and of course Robbie Robertson.

Joining Bob Dylan on tour in 1965, the tour where things " might get weird" as Dylan told the boys Helm quit. At the height of the controversy over Bob going electric Helm said he " did not want to play to get booed."

Eventually however the members of the band joined Dylan in upstate New York as he recovered from his motorcycle accident. After helping Dylan with The Basement Tapes The Band released two seminal albums Music From the Big Pink and the self titled The Band. While the singing duties were often split between the members it was Helms and his hard to describe howl that made songs like Ophelia, Up on Cripple Creek and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down that became standards.

As great at the music was however the influence The Band, and Helm had on other musicians sent and sends waves and ripples out still. I remember seeing a picture of Helm in the late sixties era, leaning against the back of a sports car. Helm was a very cool dude. Still the music was first. When Robbie Robertson broke up the Band after The Last Waltz in 1976 Helms was livid and this colored their relationship for the rest of their lives. When The Band was inducted in The Hall of Fame he chose not to attend, seeing this as the best way to avoid being roped in to playing with Robertson.

Over the last ten years of his life however Helm hosted monthly concerts in his barn at his home in Woodstock. Originally begun to help defray the cost of his medical care for the cancer that eventually he succumbed to the Concerts became the hip place to be. Tickets were hard to get and many musicians considered it a highlight to join Helm at his shows. I remember just last summer hearing that My Morning Jacket had made an appearance as they went through New York on tour,

There are many great singers. Their are however, not many great and completely distinct voices. Helm had a voice that you would never forget. We are glad of that as he has left us much too soon.

Let us pray they have room for his voice in the choir where he is.