If There's A Rock and Roll Heaven...

The Buffalo is sad.  On April 19, musician Levon Helm passed away, after battling throat cancer, at the age of 71.  For those of you who don't know him, Levon Helm was the drummer and a vocalist in one of my (and so many others') all-time favorite groups, "The Band".  You would recognize Levon's singing easily; he had a distinctive Southern tenor voice that drew you in and kept you hanging on every word he sang!   And this sound of his is best represented by his performance of the song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".



Takes your breath away, doesn't it?  What a great performance, immortalized on the album, "The Last Waltz".

Levon Helm began as a drummer and backup singer in Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks.  That band also backed up Bob Dylan, when he decided to go electric in the mid-'60s.  Ultimate that band became "The Band" with its instantly recognizable sound.  Sadly, only Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson remain, as Rick Danko and Richard Manuel predeceased Helm.

When The Band broke up in the mid-'70s, Levon worked as a solo artist.  In 2007, he won his first Grammy - the Best Traditional Folk Album award for his album "Dirt Farmer", a mix of traditional songs and compositions from Steve Earle, Buddy and Julie Miller and others.  He was accompanied by his daughter Amy and Bob Dylan session guitarist Larry Campbell.  Helm's second Grammy was for "Electric Dirt", which won for Best Americana Album in 2009.  That album featured tunes from Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, "Pops" Staples, Happy Traum (remember Happy and his brother Artie?  No?  Hmmmm...), Muddy Waters and Carter Stanley (Stanley Brothers), as well as Levon himself.  The album cover is something out of the 1970's hippie/country-rock culture, but the music serves it well (and vice versa).  And Levon's voice regained its power, sounding just like in The Band's heyday.



His crowning achievement would be the 2011 Grammy for "Ramble at the Ryman", which won the award for Best Americana Album.  It's a live performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, with guests John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow, Buddy Miller and others joining in the festivities.  As always, mandolinist daughter Amy played as did Larry Campbell, helping Levon and friends perform some of The Band's songs, including Robbie Robertson's 'Ophelia', 'Rag Mama Rag', 'The Shape I'm In', 'The Weight' and 'Chest Fever' as well as oldies like 'Fannie Mae' and 'Baby, Scratch My Back'.  A fitting farewell to a great talent.



Let us not forget he also was an actor, appearing in movies and on television!  He played the father of Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek) in the hit movie "Coal Miner's Daughter".  Also, he could be seen in the movie "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" (with Tommy Lee Jones).  Check out imdb.com for more information.

Rest in peace, Levon.  Thanks for all the great memories, some of which I am enjoying right now!  A public memorial is being held at his Woodstock, NY home (at the moment of this writing) and the funeral is planned for the next day (Friday, April 27).  Levon Helm will be buried in the Woodstock Cemetery, next to his friend and compatriot, Rick Danko.

'Nuff said.

BB

UPDATE ON THE PUBLIC MEMORIAL FOR LEVON HELM

On April 27, 2012, Billboard Magazine reported that fans flocked to Levon's wake to pay tribute to the late musician.  Nearly 2,000 people visited his digs that day.  According to the article, family members were on hand to greet mourners and let them see Levon's memorabilia.  The complete story is available here:

At Levon Helm's Barn, Family and Friends Say Goodbye

BB