This is very sad but not unexpected news. The great Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist for The Band, has died at the age of 71. Levon has been herocially battling a series of maladies for many years. He was one of my childhood musical heroes and always had a special place in my heart. I’m even feeling a bit verklempt right now and that’s a rare thing for me, y’all.
Here’s one of Levon’s many signature songs:
Though old enough to’ve always been a fan of The Band, I saw that movie on the big screen when it premiered and had a sho’nuff goddamn religious experience involving Levon Helm and Muddy Waters. Over the years, I became as big a fan of Levon, and, well… Muddy’s dayud too.