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Infobox musical artist|name = Levon Helm|image = LevonHelmWoodstockNY2004.jpg|caption = Levon Helm performing in 2004 on the Village Green in Woodstock, New York .|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Mark Lavon Helm|alias =|birth_date = birth date and age|1940|5|26| birth_place = Marvell, Arkansas , United States |death_date =|instrument = Singing|Vocals , drum kit|drums , percussion instrument|percussions , mandolin , guitar , Bass guitar|bass , harmonica , banjo |genre = Rock and roll , rhythm and blues , Rock music|rock , Blues music|blues , Country music|country , Folk music|folk |occupation = Musician , songwriter , actor , Record producer|producer |years_active = 1957& ndash;present|label = Capitol Records|Capitol , Mobile Fidelity, MCA Records|MCA , Breeze Hill, Levon |Helm Studios, ABC, Vanguard Records|Vanguard , Roulette Records|Roulette |associated_acts = The Band , Ronnie Hawkins|Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks , Bob Dylan , Levon Helm's Ramble on the Road, Levon Helm and The RCO All-Stars, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band |website = URL|levonhelm.com Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (born May 26, 1940), is an United States|American rock and roll|rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band .
Helm is known for his deeply soulful, country music|country -accented voice, and creative drumming style highlighted on many of The Band's recordings, such as " The Weight ", " Up on Cripple Creek ", "Ophelia" and " The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down ". His 2007 comeback album Dirt Farmer earned the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album|Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in February 2008, and in November of that year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #91 in the list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24161972/page/91 rollingstone.comdead link|date=October 2011 In 2010, Electric Dirt , his 2009 follow-up to Dirt Farmer , won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Americana Album , an inaugural category in 2010.cite web|url= http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/01/31/life/doc4b661dc126721222385056.txt |title=Woodstock residents Levon Helm, Steve Earle win Grammys |publisher=dailyfreeman.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-18 In 2011, his live album Ramble at the Ryman was nominated for a Grammy in the same category.cite web|url= http://www.grammy.com/nominees? year=2011& genre=59|title=Best Americana Album|publisher=Grammy.com|accessdate=December 9, 2011
Biography
Early years
Helm was born in Elaine, Arkansas , and grew up in Turkey Scratch, a hamlet west of Helena, Arkansas , the son of Nell and Diamond Helm, who were cotton farmers and also great lovers of music who encouraged their children to play and sing. Young Lavon (as he was christened) began playing the guitar at the age of eight and also played Drum kit|drums during his formative years. He saw Bill Monroe|Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys at the age of six and decided then and there to become a musician.
Arkansas in the 1940s and 50s was at the confluence of a variety of musical styles— blues , country music|country and Rhythm and blues|R& B —that later became known as rock and roll . Helm was influenced by all these styles listening to the Grand Ole Opry on radio station WSM (AM)|WSM and R& B on radio station WLAC out of Nashville, Tennessee . He also saw traveling shows such as The Rabbit's Foot Company|F.S. Walcott's Rabbit's Foot Minstrels that featured top African-American artists of the time.
Another early influence on Helm was the work of harmonica, guitarist and singer Sonny Boy Williamson II , who played blues and early R& B on the King Biscuit Time radio show on KFFA (AM)|KFFA in Helena and performed regularly in Marvell with blues guitarist Robert Jr. Lockwood . In his 1993 autobiography, '' This Wheel's on Fire - Levon Helm and the Story of The Band '', Helm describes watching Williamson's drummer, James "Peck" Curtis, intently during a live performance in the early 1950s and later imitating this R& B drumming style. Helm established his first band, The Jungle Bush Beaters, while in high school.
Helm also witnessed some of the earliest performances by southern country, blues and rockabilly artists such as Elvis Presley , Conway Twitty , Bo Diddley and a fellow Arkansan, Ronnie Hawkins . At age 17, Helm began playing in clubs and bars around Helena.
The Hawks
After graduating from high school, Helm was invited to join Ronnie Hawkins|Ronnie Hawkins' band, The Hawks, who were a popular bar and club act across the South and also in Canada , where rockabilly acts were very popular. Soon after Helm joined The Hawks, they moved to Toronto , Canada, where, in 1959, they signed with Roulette Records and released several singles, including a few hits.
Helm reports in his biography, ''This Wheel's on Fire , that fellow Hawks band members had difficulty pronouncing "Lavon" correctly, and started calling him "Levon" (respell|LEE|vahn) because it was easier.
In the early 1960s Helm and Hawkins recruited an all-Canadian lineup of musicians: guitarist Robbie Robertson , bassist Rick Danko , pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson - although all the musicians were multi-instrumentalist s. In 1963, the band parted ways with Hawkins and started touring under the name "Levon and The Hawks," and later as "The Canadian Squires" before finally changing back to "The Hawks." They recorded two singles, but remained mostly a popular touring bar band in Texas , Arkansas, Canada, and on the East Coast where they found regular summer club gigs on the New Jersey shore.
By the mid 1960s, Bob Dylan was interested in performing electric rock music and asked The Hawks to be his backing band. Disheartened by fans' negative response to Dylan's new sound, Helm returned to Arkansas for what turned out to be a two-year layoff, being replaced by Mickey Jones . During this period Helm ended up working on off-shore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico until he was asked to rejoin the band. After the Hawks toured Europe as Dylan's backing band, they followed Dylan to reside in the area in and around Woodstock, New York, and remained under salary to him. There they recorded a large volume of demo and practice tapes, playing almost daily with Dylan, who had completely withdrawn from public life the previous year. These recordings were widely Bootleg recording|bootlegged and the best tracks were officially released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes double album. The songs and themes developed during this period played a crucial role in the group's future direction and style. The Hawks members began writing their own songs. Rick Danko and Richard Manuel also shared writing credits with Dylan on a few songs. In 1967, Danko called Helm and invited him to return to the band in Woodstock.
The Band
see also|The BandHelm returned to the group, which by then was often referred to simply as "the band." While contemplating a recording contract Helm had dubbed the band as "The Crackers." However, when Robertson and Albert Grossman worked out the contracts, the group's name was cited as "The Band." Under these contracts, The Band was contracted to Grossman, who in turn contracted their services to Capitol Records. The arrangement allowed The Band to release recordings on other labels only if the work was done in support of Dylan. This allowed The Band to play on Dylan's Planet Waves album and on The Last Waltz , both non-Capitol releases. They recorded the album Music From Big Pink , which catapulted them into stardom.
On Big Pink , Manuel was the most prominent vocalist and Helm sang mainly backup, with the exception of " The Weight ," but as Manuel's health deteriorated and Robbie Robertson 's songwriting increasingly looked south for influence and direction, subsequent albums relied more and more on Helm's vocals, alone or in harmony with Danko. Helm played drums for perhaps 85% of The Band's songs, including most of those for which he sang lead. On the others, Manuel switched to drums while Helm played mandolin or, on rare occasion, guitar or bass. The entire group was multi-instrumental and for certain songs the group featured Manuel on drums, Helm on mandolin (as on "Evangeline"), rhythm guitar (the 12-string guitar backdrop to "Daniel and the Sacred Harp" is by Helm), or bass (while Danko played fiddle).cite web|url= http://www.geocities.jp/hideki_wtnb/bandplay.html |title=Who Plays What Instruments "Index" |publisher=Geocities.jp |date= |accessdate=2011-10-18
Helm remained with The Band until their 1976 farewell performance, The Last Waltz , which was recorded in a documentary film by Martin Scorsese . Although many now know Helm through his appearance in the concert film – a performance remarkable for the fact that Helm's vocal tracks appear substantially as he sang them during a grueling concert – he repudiated his involvement with the film shortly after the final scenes were shot and, in his autobiography, offers scathing criticisms of the film and of his former bandmate, Robertson, who produced it.'' This Wheel's on Fire (book)|This Wheel's On Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band , Levon Helm with Stephen Davis, Plexus, London (1993), p. 276
Solo artist and the reformed Band
With the breakup of The Band in its original form, Helm began working on a solo album Levon Helm and the RCO All Stars , which was followed soon thereafter by Levon Helm (album)|Levon Helm . He recorded solo albums in 1980 and 1982 entitled American Son (album)|American Son and (once again) Levon Helm (second album)|Levon Helm . Helm also participated in Paul Kennerley 's 1980 country music concept album , The Legend of Jesse James , singing the role of Jesse James alongside Johnny Cash , Emmylou Harris and Albert Lee .
In 1983, The Band reunited without Robbie Robertson, with Jim Weider on guitar. But then Manuel committed suicide while on tour in 1986. Helm, Danko and Hudson continued in The Band, releasing the album Jericho (album)|Jericho in 1993 and High on the Hog (The Band album)|High on the Hog in 1996. The final album from The Band was the 30th anniversary album, Jubilation (The Band album)|Jubilation , released in 1998.
In 1989, Helm and Rick Danko toured with Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. Other musicians in the band included Joe Walsh , Dr. John , Nils Lofgren , Billy Preston , Clarence Clemons and Jim Keltner. Garth Hudson guested on accordion on certain dates. Levon played drums and harmonica, and sang "The Weight" and "Up On Cripple Creek" each night.
Helm published an autobiography entitled '' This Wheel's on Fire – Levon Helm and the Story of The Band|This Wheel's on Fire in 1993.
Helm performed with Rick Danko and Garth Hudson as The Band in 1990 at Roger Waters' Epic The Wall Live In Berlin concert to an estimated 300,000 to half a million people.
Helm's performance career in the 2000s has revolved mainly around the Midnight Ramble at his home and studio, "the Barn," in Woodstock, New York . These concerts, featuring Helm and a variety of musical guests, have allowed Helm to raise money for medical bills and to resume performing after a nearly career-ending bout with cancer .
Helm was diagnosed with Head and neck cancer|throat cancer in the late 1990s after suffering hoarseness. Advised to undergo laryngectomy , Helm instead underwent an arduous regimen of radiation treatments at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Although the tumor was then successfully removed, his vocal cords were damaged, and his clear, powerful tenor voice was replaced by a quiet rasp. Initially Helm only played drums and relied on guest vocalists at the Rambles, but Helm's singing voice grew stronger and on January 10, 2004, he sang for the first time at one of his Ramble Sessions. In 2007, during production of Dirt Farmer , he estimated that his singing voice was 80% recovered.
The Levon Helm Band features his daughter Amy Helm, along with Larry Campbell (musician)|Larry Campbell , Teresa Williams, Jimmy Weider (the Band's last guitarist), Jimmy Vivino , Mike Merritt, Brian Mitchell (musician)|Brian Mitchell , Erik Lawrence, Steven Bernstein (musician)|Steven Bernstein , Howard Johnson (tuba player in the horn section that played on The Band's "Rock of Ages" and "The Last Waltz" live albums), Byron Isaacs, and blues harmonica player Little Sammy Davis . He hosts Midnight Rambles at his home in Woodstock, New York that are open to the public.
The Midnight Ramble is an outgrowth of an idea Helm explained to Martin Scorsese in The Last Waltz . Earlier in the 20th century, Helm explained, traveling medicine show s and music shows such as F.S. Walcott Rabbit's Foot Minstrels, featuring African-American blues singers and dancers, would put on titillating performances in rural areas. This was also turned into a song by the Band, "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show," with the name altered so the lyric was easier to sing.
"After the finale, they'd have the midnight ramble," Helm told Scorsese. With young children off the premises, the show resumed: "The songs would get a little bit juicier. The jokes would get a little funnier and the prettiest dancer would really get down and shake it a few times. A lot of the rock and roll Duck Walk|duck walk s and moves came from that."
Artists who have performed at the Rambles include Helm's former bandmate Garth Hudson , as well as Elvis Costello , Emmylou Harris , Dr. John , Chris Robinson (singer)|Chris Robinson , Allen Toussaint , Donald Fagen of Steely Dan and Jimmy Vivino of " Late Night with Conan O'Brien 's" The Max Weinberg 7 . Other performers have included Sean Costello , The Muddy Waters Tribute Band, Pinetop Perkins , Hubert Sumlin , Kris Kristofferson , Gillian Welch , David Rawlings , Justin Townes Earle , Bow Thayer, Luther Johnson (Guitar Junior)|Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson , Rickie Lee Jones , Kate Taylor , Ollabelle , The Holmes Brothers , Catherine Russell, Norah Jones , Elvis Perkins in Dearland , Phil Lesh (along with his sons Grahame and Brian), Hot Tuna (although Jorma Kaukonen introduced the group as "The Secret Squirrels"), MichaelAngelo D'Arrigo with various members of the Sistine Chapel, Johnny Johnson, Ithalia, and David Bromberg .
For drumming, in recent years Helm has switched to the matched grip and adopted a less busy, greatly simplified style, as opposed to his years with The Band when he played with the traditional grip .Interview, July 29, 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=5591685 The Band's Levon Helm, Making Music Again, National Public Radio (retrieved August 18, 2006).
Helm has been touring every year for the last few years, generally on the northeastern part of the American mainland, traveling to shows by private bus. Since 2007, Helm has performed in larger venues including the Beacon Theatre (New York City)|Beacon Theater in New York. Dr. John and Warren Haynes ( Allman Brothers Band , Govt. Mule ) and Garth Hudson played at the concerts as well along with several other guests. At a show in Vancouver , Canada, Elvis Costello joined to sing "Tears of Rage." The Alexis P. Suter Band has been an opening act. Helm is a favorite of Don Imus and has been frequently featured on Imus in the Morning . In the Summer of 2009 it was reported that a reality television series centering around the Midnight Ramble was in the works.
Dirt Farmer and After
Fall 2007 saw the release of Dirt Farmer , Helm's first studio solo album since 1982. Dedicated to Helm's parents and co-produced by his daughter Amy, the album combines traditional tunes Levon recalled from his youth with newer songs (by Steve Earle , Paul Kennerley and others) which flow from similar historical streams.
The album was released to almost immediate critical acclaim, and earned him a Grammy Award in the Traditional Folk Album category for 2007.
Helm declined to attend the Grammy Awards ceremony, instead holding a "Midnight Gramble" and celebrating the birth of his grandson, named Lavon (Lee) Henry Collins in honor of Helm, whose birth name is Mark Lavon Helm and who was called by his middle name since a young age.This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band: Levon Helm,Stephen Davis: Books. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20080211/LIFE/802110324 PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Helm gets grammy for 'Dirt Farmer'dead link|date=October 2011cite web|url= http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-ca-helm10feb10,0,890681.story |title=Browse businesses and events in Los Angeles - FindLocal Los Angeles Times |publisher=calendarlive.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-18
In 2008 Levon Helm performed at Warren Haynes ' Mountain Jam (festival)|Mountain Jam Music Festival in Hunter, NY. Helm played alongside Warren Haynes on the last day of the three-day festival. Levon also joined Bob Weir & Ratdog on stage as they closed out the festival. Levon Helm performed to great acclaim at the 2008 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee , held June 12–15.cite web|url= http://www.bonnaroo.com/artists.aspx |title=2008 Bonnaroo Lineup |publisher=Bonnaroo.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-18cite web|url= http://www.waneefestival.com/ |title=Wanee Music Festival - April 11th & 12th Live Oak, Florida |publisher=Waneefestival.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-18
Helm drummed on a couple of tracks for Jorma Kaukonen 's February, 2009 album River of Time (Jorma Kaukonen album)|River of Time , recorded at the Levon Helm studio.
Helm released Electric Dirt on his own label on June 30, 2009. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/levon-helm-going-electric-this-june-1003962021.story Levon Helm Going Electric This June. Billboard.com , April 14, 2009. The album won a best album Grammy for the newly created Americana category in 2010. He performed on the David Letterman show on July 9, 2009, touring, in a supporting role, with the Black Crowes during the same year.
In March, 2010, a documentary on Helm's day-to-day life titled ''Ain't in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm'' was released. Directed by Jacob Hatley, it made its debut at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, and went on to screen at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/06/living-legend-levon-helm-finally-gets-his-closeup-in-health-.html "Living legend Levon Helm finally gets his close-up in 'Health'" - Los Angeles Times
On May 11, 2011, Helm released Ramble at the Ryman , a live album recorded during his September 17, 2008 performance at Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville's Ryman Auditorium . The album features Helm's band playing six songs by The Band and other cover material, including some songs from previous Helm solo releases.cite web | author = Mark Deming | date = | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/ramble-at-the-ryman-r2164105/review | title = Ramble at the Ryman review | publisher = AllMusic | accessdate = 2011-12-12 The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album .cite web|url= http://www.grammy.com/nominees? year=2011& genre=59|title=Best Americana Album|publisher=Grammy.com|accessdate=December 9, 2011
As an actor
Helm has also had a considerable career as an actor. He has appeared in the movies The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada , Shooter (film)|Shooter , Smooth Talk , The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff , The Dollmaker , Feeling Minnesota , End of the Line (1987 film)|End of the Line , In the Electric Mist , Fire Down Below (1997 film)|Fire Down Below , Staying Together (film)|Staying Together and portrayed Loretta Lynn 's father in the film '' Coal Miner's Daughter opposite Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones .
Tributes
The hero of Elton John 's song " Levon " (co-written with Bernie Taupin ) was named after Levon Helm. Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, 24 March 2000. The Straight Dope Mailbag , " http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlevon.html". John much later named his son (born on December 25, 2010) "Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12084650 Sir Elton John becomes father via surrogate
Marc Cohn wrote the song " Join the Parade|Listening to Levon " in 2007. "The Man Behind the Drums," written by Robert Earl Keen and Bill Whitbeck, appeared on Keen's 2009 album The Rose Hotel .
Discography
With The Band
See also|The Band discography
1968 Music from Big Pink
1969 The Band (album)|The Band
1970 Stage Fright (album)|Stage Fright
1971 Cahoots (album)|Cahoots
1972 Rock of Ages (album)|Rock of Ages (live concert album)
1973 Moondog Matinee (collection of covers)
1974 Before the Flood (live album with The Band and Bob Dylan)
http://moviesbooksandmusic.today.com/2009/05/10/levon-helm-dirt-farmer/ Review of Dirt Farmer
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/28772526/review/28811802/electric_dirt? utm_source=daily-newsletter& utm_medium=email RS Editor's Review: Electric Dirt
s-starts-ach|aws-bef|before= Emmylou Harris s-ttl|title= Americana Music Association|AMA Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing |years=2003s-aft|after= Chris Hillmans-bef|before= Patty Griffin s-ttl|title= Americana Music Association|AMA Artist of the Year |years=2008s-aft|after= Buddy Millers-endThe Band Persondata | NAME =Helm, Levon | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =May 26, 1940 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Marvell, Arkansas|Marvell , Arkansas , United States | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Helm, Levon Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:ABC Records artists Category:American autobiographers Category:American country rock musicians Category:American rock drummers Category:American male singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:Cancer survivors Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Arkansas Category:Actors from Arkansas Category:People from Phillips County, Arkansas Category:The Band members Category:Vanguard Records artists Category:American folk rock musicians Category:American mandolinists
