Levon Helm, Key Member of The Band, Dies

All the good ones are leaving us. Soon all we'll have left are pretenders to the thrones. Damn!

entertainment.ca.msn.com...

ALBANY, N.Y. - With songs like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," ''The Weight" and "Up on Cripple Creek," The Band fused rock, blues, folk and gospel to create a sound that seemed as authentically American as a Mathew Brady photograph or a Mark Twain short story. In truth, the group had only one American — Levon Helm. Helm, the drummer and singer who brought an urgent beat and a genuine Arkansas twang to some of The Band's best-known songs and helped turn a bunch of musicians known mostly as Bob Dylan's backup group into one of rock's most legendary acts, has died. He was 71.

Helm and his bandmates — Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel — were musical virtuosos who returned to the roots of American music in the late 1960s as other rockers veered into psychedelia, heavy metal and jams. The group's 1968 debut, "Music From the Big Pink," and its follow-up, "The Band," remain landmark albums of the era, and songs such as "The Weight," ''Dixie Down" and "Cripple Creek" have become rock standards.

My Favorite of course:


RIP Levon!

This deeply saddens me. I had missed a chance to see him perform at his studio when I was in the area a little while back due to work and now I'm kicking myself for not calling out. This seems so sudden, he was still playing public shows at his studio less than three weeks ago; but I did receive an email just yesterday put out by his family saying he wasn't doing too well, he will be missed.

Originally posted by Samsquanch
This deeply saddens me. I had missed a chance to see him perform at his studio when I was in the area a little while back due to work and now I'm kicking myself for not calling out. This seems so sudden, he was still playing public shows at his studio less than three weeks ago; but I did receive an email just yesterday put out by his family saying he wasn't doing too well, he will be missed.

Gonna play a CD right now in memory...

Peace

reply to post by jude11


This is pretty rough. I love The Band. The Last Waltz is easily the best concert movie ever. I always wanted to see Levon solo in concert, even if it wasn't The Band, he always seemed like one of the cooler members.

This has to be posted, since it's probably his most famous:



ETA: He was also the inspiration behind this:

And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man

Originally posted by SaulGoodman
reply to post by jude11

 

This is pretty rough. I love The Band. The Last Waltz is easily the best concert movie ever. I always wanted to see Levon solo in concert, even if it wasn't The Band, he always seemed like one of the cooler members.

This has to be posted, since it's probably his most famous:

ETA: He was also the inspiration behind this:

And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man

edit on 4/19/2012 by SaulGoodman because: (no reason given)

Yup, The Weight...Classic.

Thanx for that!

Peace

One of my all-time favorite writers/performers and so much more, ever. RIP Mr. Helm. Last time I saw him live was in about 1984 at a very excellent show at the Country Club in Reseda, CA. It was with the entire Band sans Robbie. I believe Levon was the only American, the rest of the Band Canadian.

Memorable. I will never forget him as his music lives on and his voice forever in my mind, forever playing to me.

I heard this today on the radio on the way home. Sad day for rock an roll. The last waltz is one of the greatest concert videos ever made. I remember the first time I heard it, I was floored. RIP Mr. Helm. You'll be missed.

legendary

Originally posted by Erongaricuaro
One of my all-time favorite writers/performers and so much more, ever. RIP Mr. Helm. Last time I saw him live was in about 1984 at a very excellent show at the Country Club in Reseda, CA. It was with the entire Band sans Robbie. I believe Levon was the only American, the rest of the Band Canadian.

Memorable. I will never forget him as his music lives on and his voice forever in my mind, forever playing to me.

edit on 19-4-2012 by Erongaricuaro because: (no reason given)

You're right in that Levon was the only American.

The rest were Canucks...

Peace

If we could all only stay Forever Young.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

Take what you need, and leave the rest.
They should never have taken the very best.

They say ev’rything can be replaced
Yet ev’ry distance is not near
So I remember ev’ry face
Of ev’ry man who put me here
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say ev’ry man needs protection
They say ev’ry man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Standing next to me in this lonely crowd
Is a man who swears he’s not to blame
All day long I hear him shout so loud
Crying out that he was framed
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

I know it's already been posted. But here's The Weight from The Last Waltz.
I'd have posted sooner, but I just got done crying....

Levon can now take a load off. And join Rick and Richard at the great gig in the sky.

At least Robbie had something good to say yesterday.