First Dick Clark. Now Levon Helm. The music industry has said goodbye to two legends in two days.
I was never a huge fan of The Band, for which Helm was a founding member. The drummer/singer was a major influence in The Band's sound, which is best described as roots rock with a taste of country.
I did see Helm and The Band once, when I covered Woodstock '94 for Relix Magazine. I remember Helm in a breezy, happy-go-lucky mood, belting out the vocals for "The Weight." Here's an excerpt on The Band's appearance:
"And Woodstock truly became Woodstock on Saturday afternoon when, as the crowd swelled in front of the south stage to see The Band, the skies opened with heavy rain. There were beaming smiles among the masses as the chaos, excuse the expression, mushroomed. The mud is what truly brought the campers together. It introduced a common hardship, giving people a vehicle with which to help each other. Human chains were formed to assist each other up and down the hills."
RIP, Levon.