Levon
Description
The life of the legendary drummer and singer is explored through extensive research and personal interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians.
In the Arkansas Delta, a young Levon Helm witnessed "blues, country, and gospel hit in a head-on collision," as he put it. The result was rock 'n' roll. As a teenager, he joined the raucous Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, then helped merge a hard-driving electric sound with Bob Dylan's folk roots, and revolutionized American rock with the Band. Helm not only provided perfect "in the pocket" rhythm and unforgettable vocals, he was the soul of The Band.
Levon traces a rebellious life on the road, from being booed with Bob Dylan to the creative cauldron of Big Pink, the Woodstock Festival, world tours, The Last Waltz, and beyond with the man Dylan called "one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation."
Author Sandra B.Tooze digs deep into what Helm saw as a devastating betrayal by his closest friend, Band guitarist Robbie Robertson-and Levon's career collapse, his near bankruptcy, and the loss of his voice due to throat cancer in 1997. Yet Helm found success in an acting career that included roles in Coal Miner's Daughter and The Right Stuff. Regaining his singing voice, he made his last decade a triumph, opening his barn to the Midnight Rambles and earning three Grammys.More details
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Content
- Intro
- More Praise for Levon
- Also by Sandra B. Tooze
- Title Page
- Dedication
- CONTENTS
- 1 Best Seat in the House
- 2 From Turkey Scratch to the Hawk
- 3 "The Wildest, Fiercest, Speed-Driven Bar Band in America"
- 4 Gambling on Roulette
- 5 The Hawks Take Wing
- 6 Dylan Plugs In and Helm Checks Out
- 7 In the Pink with the Band
- 8 "The Only Drummer That Can Make You Cry"
- 9 "The Shape I'm In"
- 10 Out of Step with the Last Waltz
- 11 Restoring the Rhythm
- 12 And the Band Played On
- 13 From the Ashes
- 14 "Blues Before Sunrise"
- 15 "God Wasn't Through with You"
- Bob Dylan
- Photos
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- About the Author
- Footnotes
