Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm was an American rock 'n' roller, Americana musician, and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and regular lead vocalist for The Band. Helm was known for his deeply soulful, country-accented voice, multi-instrumental ability, and creative drumming style, highlighted on many of the Band's recordings, such as "The Weight", "Up on Cripple Creek", and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDrummer
Date of Birth26 May 1940
CityElaine, AR
CountryUnited States of America
The Band never really played big concert tours. We never sold millions and millions of albums.
When the second record came out, they started calling it The Band. I voted to call it The Crackers. I'm no fool.
My dad and I played music. He teaches me a song or two every time I'm home.
My parents wanted me to be smart and be a scholar, and the best I could do was graduate high school.
If you feel like you're getting into a rut with a song, a night off usually fixes it.
I like walking on the edge.
I've had all the lessons I could get. I've learned from everybody I've ever met.
If things are going slow, I'm itchy.
I had throat cancer, and I had to have radiation treatments, and I couldn't sing for a long time; and this was in '97. I had 28 radiation treatments. I didn't die, thank God.
The way to do it is to put as much life into the song as I can. You can either get it to breathe or you can't.
I've always thought it was easier for girls to sing harmonies because their voices can go to that higher plane so much more easy than a male voice.
There were no rules, other than that the song should sound good and be fun to play.
Well, somebody's got to sing. They won't hire you unless you sing.
You got to pick one - pay your medical bills or pay the mortgage. Most people can't do both, and I'm no different.