I just read that Levon Helm passed away today. You may remember him as Ridley, Chuck Yeager's long time friend in The Right Stuff, as Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter or even in Fire Down Below. But how many know that he was a long time vocalist for The Band. Yep, that was Levon singing on The Weight:

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead
Just need to find a place where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand and, "No", was all he said
Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

CW

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As both a music lover & drummer, that is very sad news.

It seems fitting that my son had the radio on in the next room with
Levon singin', "Up On Cripple Creek", as I read this thread.

RIP Levon, you will be missed, but not forgotten.....

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Ogy

The passing of one of the greats. He will be missed by many.

I heard The Band live in Chicago, either 1969 or 1970. "Up On Cripple Creek" sticks in my memory, Levon singing lead and with Garth Hudson making that jew's harp-like sound with an attachment on his organ (no, not that organ).

Rest In Peace, Levon Helm. You were one of the great ones.

This is not unexpected, but still sad.

One of the great ones for sure.

Apparently a class act as well as a fine artist.

another of the good ones, taken from us. ive seen too many pass already, going back to 1959.

Rest in Peace. A generation is passing.......

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Even older, even crankier....

I remember his small part in "Shooter" and "The Night They Drove ol' Dixie Down" is still one of my favorites. I may have to get out the old vinyl, I believe I have four of The Band's albums and a "best of" CD.

Mike

Up On Cripple Creek - The Band - YouTube

Wow, sorry to hear of his passing. I always thought as an actor he was way underrated and should have been in more movies. He also played the blind guy in "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"

I mostly thought of Levon Helm as a musician, so I was always surprised to see him acting. One of his last roles was as the Confederate General John Bell Hood in the hallucinatory time-traveling segment of "In The Electric Mist," an unsuccessful adaptation of one of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels. Tommy Lee Jones played Robicheaux, but he couldn't save a movie with a French director who was out of his depth in Louisiana. Helm's short performance was one of the best things about that flick. And the photography -- is Lousiana really that green and that beautiful?

Yeah, gonna miss him. It's not like we have enough double- and triple-threat entertainers that we can shrug it off when one slips away.

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David Wilson

National treasure

One of the few "real deals"

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I have had the honor of catching 2 of Helm's famous Midnight Rambles at his Woodstock barn. They were the most amazing jam sessions. The last included a 25 minute rendition of Up On Cripple Creek the left me weak-kneed. Absolutely beautiful.
A great musician, a great man and a great loss.

The Last Waltz - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.mpg - YouTube

RIP Levon Helm, May your music live forever.

RIP, Levon. The jam session in the sky is waiting on you.

That movie In the Electric Mist could have been a great movie I thought with Tommy Lee Jones playing Robicheaux but it was such a huge disapointment I agree. It made the one Baldwin was in look pretty good and I hate having to say that.
I've read every book by James Lee Burke and he IMO is a great American author.

Anyway I too thought of Levon as more musician then actor but always enjoyed seeing him in movies too.
Saw the Levon Helm Band at Jazz Fest in New Orleans in 2010

His daughter played in the band as well and she is a terrific talent.

RIP

I drove down highway 347 from which I live and they had part of the cast and a crowd of people either doing their part in the movie or sightseer's watching what was going on. And yes Louisiana is green for most of the year except maybe february and march when we sometimes get cold weather. Now by cold is when the temps drop down to the mid 20's. Folks walk around looking like nanook of the north cause they have so much clothing on. We had a very mild winter here this winter. Frank

I've been listening to The Band and Levon Helm for more years than I care to remember...

May he rest in peace...

A great loss. Any music fan should see "The Last Waltz". Can't think of a greater talent to come out of Arkansas. RIP Levon, you were an original, for sure.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

The Band...The Best, Levon gone, didn't one of the members die in a hotel in Florida some tome ago..........They sounded so Southren Rock it was hard to believe most were from Canada....Darn I'M GETTING OLD

That would have been Rick Danko, the bass player.
I recommend renting the video The Last Waltz.
Some classic performances by The Band as well as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Ronny Hawkins, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and more.
Edit: And it just happened to be directed by someone named Scorsessi (forgive the spelling)

I haven't played my vinyl Last Waltz album in eons, I guess I'll have to dust it off tonight and spin it, it was a great concert movie also. RIP Levon...

So I'm sitting in a small cafe in Petersburg AK
And on the radio right now they're playing whatever the name of that song is Put the Load on Me.
Once again RIP Levon

Paper said he made peace with Robbie Robertson a couple days before he passed. I like that. RIP. Joe

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R.I.P. Levon.

Remembering Levon Helm; Musician, Actor, Author, Inspiration - YouTube

Listened to a lot of Band music today. "Acadian Driftwood" playing right now, a favorite. R.I.P.

That's good, if true. I know some people (such as my sister, for one) who will never forgive or make peace with Robbie Robertson.

So none of my biz regarding your sister but what was the beef between Levon and Robbie?

Years ago, a friend of mine had the album "The Band" on 8 track tape. We use to play it at least once every weekend. I used to have all the Band albums on vinyl, then when I got into CDs, I purchased them all on CD. I drove from VA. to St. Louis last week for the NRA convention. Listened to CDS the whole way out and back. Played a lot of the Band and Bob Dylan. Brought back a lot of memories. RIP Levon.

Levon said that he and other members of The Band collaborated on some of their music but only Robbie got writing credit (and therefore royalties). I've also heard but never seen it confirmed that Robbie blamed Levon for Richard Manuel committing suicide while The Band was touring (without Robertson) in 1986. I don't know how much truth there is to all that but those are the reasons I've heard.

CW

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A great musician, was right there helping create some of the seminal music of the 20th century. Levon is playing in the "Cloud Lounge" now.

Thanks for postng....They were great........and real......I didn't know that was Levon in the "Shooter" I am going to dig out my DVD. of the "Last Waltz"