Photo by Michael Stewart

LEVON HELM - A “RAINBOW WARRIOR RETURNS……

It is now three decades since the historical departure of fabled musical icons “The Band and the catalyst of their brief reign in ‘rock n’ roll” royalty, Levon Helm. Surrounded by Famed musicians of The Golden Age and inclusive of Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Richard Manual and Rick Danko, Levon Helm was the prototype of what all great drummers, I.e., musicians aspire to be. Admiration & respect from both his peers and the adoring fans of the day were never taken lightly by this Hall Of Fame maestro and his appreciation would exude during performances from the embryonic days with Ronnie Hawkins, aspiring days with The Band and the historic sessions with Bob Dylan and subsequent recordings “Music From Big Pink”. The demise of the group would see a myriad of collaborations, movies, a few books and a 1983 reunion with the exclusion of Robertson. I was on my way to Bogart’s in Cincinnati when the news came about Richard Manuel and an abrupt halt to a much anticipated reunion tour. Levon would return to his home in Woodstock and sporadic roles in selected movies but the music that moves his soul. seemed to be lost in the proverbial shuffle. During the late nineties and early 2000, I would be a consultant for the trendy “Gathering On The Mountain” in The Poconos and I mentioned Levon Helm Band, now augmented by the vocals of his daughter, Amy Helm.

Levon had conquered the ravages of cancer but his voice was non-existent. Suffice to say, his appearance alone was worth the travel for the 6,000 fans on that hot and humid weekend almost a decade ago. He is and will remain an icon, one of those that we most admired and emulated as the lost children of The Counter Culture. These are the songs of the heartland, folk songs that define the life and times and so often forgotten in a burgeoning society where we have multiplied our possessions but no longer are concerned with values. These are tunes that many carried for a lifetime, lyrics treasured because they were taught to us by our parents and those we loved. There is an old adage that always reminds me of Levon and Amy: “People say true friends always hold hands but some of us don’t need that as we know that hand will always be there”. Levon is a throwback to those days when integrity and credibility were far more important than the greed that now saturates the music industry. Historians often say, 'The likes of him may never come this way again' and that statement is much like what I used to define my friend Chet Helms upon his passing in 2005. For these two stalwarts of the genre, that mold has been broken.

As summer looms on the horizon, Levon, Amy and others are on the road again after all these years so, life may not have been the party we had all anticipated but as long as we are all together, “We might as well dance”.

Cheers

Don