Levon Helm, 71, passed away on April 19 from complications related to throat cancer.
On April 26, a public wake was held at the Helm’s Barn studio complex. A little over 2,000 fans showed up to honor the rock legend.
What happened to Levon Helm?
Levon Mark Lavon As the drummer and one of the three main vocalists for the Band, American musician Helm rose to stardom. In 1994, the Band inducted Helm into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Band’s recordings of “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” feature Helm’s distinctive drumming style, multi-instrumental prowess, and intensely soulful, country-accented voice.
Helm also had a successful acting career in movies, playing roles such as General John Bell Hood in In the Electric Mist, Chuck Yeager’s buddy and coworker Captain Jack Ridley in The Right Stuff, and Loretta Lynn’s father in Coal Miner’s Daughter (2009).
Helm was given the news that he had throat cancer in 1998, which led to the loss of his singing voice. His cancer eventually entered remission after therapy, and he gradually regained the use of his voice.
