Levon Helm not only stood witness to the birth of rock & roll; he also participated in bringing it to the world. Then, as a drummer, he gave it his own distinctive backbeat, and as a songwriter and singer he emphasized rock’s southern roots.
Born in 1940 in Elaine, Arkansas, Helm was fourteen when he saw Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley sharing a bill in Helena, Arkansas. The following year, 1955, Helm saw drummer Jimmy Van Eaton play with Jerry Lee Lewis and decided to take up drumming. In 1957 he joined the band of Arkansas rocker Ronnie Hawkins.
During a Canadian tour, Hawkins hired four young Ontario musicians: Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson. Not long afterward, the five backing musicians left to form their own group, Levon and the Hawks.
In 1965, Bob Dylan hired the five Hawks as his backing band. Rehearsing in Woodstock, New York, local residents called them “the band.” The group adopted it as their official name. The Band’s first album, Music from Big Pink, was released in 1968.
The Band’s earthy roots-rock sound made them critically acclaimed favorites. Over seven albums, they created classic hits “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down,” and “Up on Cripple Creek,” among others. Their 1976 farewell concert became a beloved concert movie, The Last Waltz.
Helm continued to create music, as a solo artist, in a duo with Rick Danko, as a member of the RCO All-Stars, and in various reunions of The Band. He also started acting, most notably playing Loretta Lynn’s father in the award-winning film biography Coal Miner’s Daughter.
Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1996, but eventually regained his health and his voice. He has returned to performing and recording, including 2007’s solo effort, Dirt Farmer, which won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. Helm also was named 2008 Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association.