Levon Helm, drummer/singer with The Band

[Flying Horse]

R.I.P. Levon Helm, drummer and singer in the influential rock group The Band and actor, died at age 71 in New York City, having suffered from cancer for several years.,

The drummer/singer was part of Bob Dylan's backup band when Dylan turned away from folk toward a more electrified rock sound (album: The Basement Tapes, The Last Waltz; songs: "The Weight," "Up On Cripple Creek," "Ophelia," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down). In his later years, he was known for Midnight Rambles, concerts he hosted at his barn in Woodstock, N.Y.
Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent radiation treatment. Like many Americans who have to pay out of pocket for their health care, he ran into financial trouble. At one point he was in serious danger of losing his home in Woodstock, where he'd settled after his days with Dylan. And this began one of the most remarkable 2nd acts in rock history. Needing to raise money, but too frail to tour, Helm began giving concerts in the barn-cum-recording studio attached to his house, inviting local and visiting musicians to join him. He also asked guests to bring drinks and a dish, making each show a potluck feast. He called them Rambles. As his throat healed, he began singing again. People came from around the world to hear the man play in his own home. Along with established musicians like Elvis Costello, he'd invite younger acts like My Morning Jacket up to play.
For a while, Helm was healthy enough to begin traveling and playing out again. He resumed making records, and won himself a few Grammys.
As the Rambles became a bona fide regional attraction, Helm became a kind of cultural ambassador for Woodstock and New York's Hudson Valley. He let neighborhood folks come to the Rambles for free, played countless benefits for local charities and fundraisers. Once a year, he'd stage a special Kid's Ramble at his house, where five bucks got you an afternoon of family-style music plus all the hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and cupcakes you could eat. It's sad to think that can't happen now. But Levon's legacy remains alive in his music, which will continue teach, inspire and wow all comers. R.I.P. Levon Helm, drummer and singer extraordinaire. You deserve it.

(From left to right, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson and Bob Dylan onstage at Madison Square Garden in 1974)