Rockers We’ve Lost in 2012: Levon Helm

Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist with the Band, passed away on Thursday, April 19 at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. The Band's debut album, 'Music From Big Pink,' is one of the most influential albums of the late ’60s. The landmark LP featured a back to basics, rootsy approach that flew in the face of the psychedelic overload favored at the time. It signaled a new direction, and many artists took note and followed their lead.

Levon’s soulful, down-home vocals took the spotlight on several of the Band’s most loved songs such as ‘The Weight,’ ‘Up on Cripple Creek’ and ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.’ The Band called it quits in 1976, with their final concert being captured by Martin Scorsese and released as the must-see film ‘The Last Waltz.’

Levon also made a venture into acting, appearing in several films including 'The Right Stuff' and, most notably, as Loretta Lynn’s father in ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter.’ Levon is survived by his wife Sandy and daughter Amy.