Levon Helm - R.I.P. May 26, 1940 - April 19, 2012
Levon Helm was to rock and roll what John Wayne was to acting, a natural who made it look easy. His singing sounded like Abe Lincoln by way of Henry Fonda and John Ford. It was essential Americana, not country or folk, but, like an Okie intellectual.
He took some very good songs written by Robbie Robertson and other band members and made them great by giving them what the overwhelming majority of 60’s and 70’s rock music lacked, effortless artistry that seemed incapable of posing.
Helm had it as a drummer, singer and as an actor, making his performances seamless. I can think of only handful of musicians and artists who could pull that off, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, John Wayne, when he had the right part and director, you can count them on two hands....maybe. Levon was right there—one of a kind, an American original.
Mark
He took some very good songs written by Robbie Robertson and other band members and made them great by giving them what the overwhelming majority of 60’s and 70’s rock music lacked, effortless artistry that seemed incapable of posing.
Helm had it as a drummer, singer and as an actor, making his performances seamless. I can think of only handful of musicians and artists who could pull that off, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, John Wayne, when he had the right part and director, you can count them on two hands....maybe. Levon was right there—one of a kind, an American original.
Mark
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