In memoriam: Levon Helm

American music has lost another hero.  Levon Helm, the drummer for The Band, died last week after battling cancer for the last few years.  Helm was a fixture in The Band which started out as Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks back in 1959.  After separating from Hawkins, Helm, along with guitarist Robbie Robertson, organist & saxophonist Garth Hudson, pianist Richard Manuel and bassist Rick Danko became, The Band.  They recorded a number of albums through their eight year career between 1968 and 1976.  

The Band reunited sans Robertson in the 1990s with Helm, Hudson, Danko, and guitarist Jim Weider.  They released an album titled “Jericho” in 1994.  For a few more years, this lineup carried on.  In later years, Helm started his own band, the Levon Helm Band with several members including vocalists and a full horn section.  Core members were Helm on drums, Larry Campbell on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo, a rotation for second guitarist between Jim Weider and Jimmy Vivino, Brian Mitchell on keyboards, Teresa Williams on guitar and vocals, Amy Helm on vocals, and Byron Isaacs on bass.  The band also included blues legend Little Sammy Davis on harmonica.

Helm played many old blues, country and roots music standards, plus songs from his time with The Band including “Ophelia”, “Chest Fever”, and, “The Weight”.  Special guest artists from many genres would sit in with his band either on tour or for his legendary ramble concerts at his barn studio in Woodstock, New York.  Those shows took place regularly at the barn from 2007 right up until Helm’s passing.  Helm’s music blended so many great elements of every American genre from blues to jazz to country and rock and roll.

There were no barriers and the genres blended and cross pollinated well with The Band and Levon Helm’s own work.  He will be remembered for his singing (which in later years was weakened somewhat when helm dealt with and overcame throat cancer), his drumming, mandolin playing, and, songwriting.  His legacy as an ambassador of American roots music has indeed firmly been cemented.

Rest In Peace, Levon Helm.