Farewell, Levon

 Levon Helm died of throat cancer on April 19, age 71.  To the left is a photograph taken of him at his prime, as a member of The Band.  Levon was the drummer and lead singer on such songs as "The Weight", "Rag Mama Rag, "Ophelia" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".  He also played mandolin and guitar.  He was the sole American in a Canadian band, who became one of the best rock bands in the world during the late '60's and '70s.  I remember them well.

Originally, The Band was recruited and played with Ronnie Hawkins, an American rockabilly who came to Toronto in the mid 50's.  They left Ronnie to tour on their own, and became the musicians behind Bob Dylan when he stopped performing acoustically and played electrically.  This was heresy in the early 60's, and it took  an amazing band to persuade fans to give the music a chance.  After The Band stopped touring with Dylan they settled in rural New York and recorded two of the best albums of all time:  "Music from Big Pink" and "The Band".  They influenced an entire generation of musicians and fans.  


Levon was born in Arkansas in a family that were cotton farmers and music lovers.   He was influenced by early blues, rhythm and blues and rockabilly players, and was fortunate to see early Elvis Presley and Bo Diddley performances.  His love and knowledge of this music was at the core of the best music that The Band produced.


The original Band members played their last gig on Thanksgiving Day in 1976.  The members were torn apart by drug abuse, ill health, and arguments over music credits.  Not to mention crippling stage fright suffered by Robbie Robertson.   Although Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson had been very close friends, the decisions made at that time destroyed the relationship completely.  They never played together again.   The farewell performance was filmed by Martin Scorsese and called "The Last Waltz", which is the best rock and roll movie ever made.  Musicians such as Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Dr. John, and Muddy Waters all performed with The Band.  

Levon survived the breakup and continued to do what he loved best:  make music.  He toured and recorded with former members of The Band as well as musicians such as Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, and Dr. John.  In 1993 he wrote his autobiography This Wheel's on Fire - Levon Helm and the Story of The Band.  In the '90s, Levon developed throat cancer and after radiation treatments he lost his voice, but continued to play the drums and try to sing.  His voice grew stronger, and eventually he became able to sing again.

In the early, 2000's, Levon decided to focus his performances in a barn on his property in Woodstock, New York.  His Midnight Rambles always included the Levon Helm band featuring his daughter Amy, but also attracted famous musicians and friends from all over who came to join the fun.  He asked everyone who attended to bring one potluck dish, and the Rambles followed Levon's vision of combining friendship and music.  Among the artists who have played at the Rambles are:  Kris Kristofferson, Garth Hudson, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, and many others.  You never knew who would turn up at the rambles because Levon was so well liked by other musicians.

Levon Helm was an amazing musician and performer.  He believed that the members of a band form a brotherhood and that there can be no single individual who takes credit for the music created by the unit.  He paid dearly for this naive world view but blamed the pencil pushers in the record company rather than the greed of a fellow band member.  He simply loved to make music and entertain people, and lived his life accordingly.  I can remember the first time I ever heard music performed by The Band because it was completely different from anything else at the time.  I was always proud of the fact that four of the five members were Canadian, but appreciated the influence that Levon Helm over their music.   

Farewell, Levon, you will be sorely missed by fans and fellow musicians.  I always wanted to attend one of your Midnight Rambles and never took the opportunity, to my deep regret.  I have been listening to The Band on my Ipod all week, and now I'm going to go watch "The Last Waltz" as I work on my baby afghan.