Levon Helm
b. : 26 May 1940
d. : 19 April 2012
Helm was part of the group called The Band, who first gained fame as the supporting band for Bob Dylan when the latter one day decided to go electric instead of acoustic. All five members were multi-instrumentalists, but Helm did most of the drumming.
The Band soon became a musical force on their own, coming out with their debut and seminal album Music From Big Pink in 1968. The LP included what is probably their best-known song, The Weight (YouTube it), which featured Helm's charmingly raspy voice on lead vocal. Their first incarnation lasted until 1976, and although they re-formed in 1983, the golden years were over.
The group's founding personnel have taken some devastating hits over the years. Keyboardist Richard Manuel hung himself in 1986; bassist Rick Danko passed away in 1999; and now Helm has lost his battle with throat cancer. Only Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson remain.
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