Levon Helm has lived quite a life. He founded Levon and the Hawks, then left the band when they were backing up Bob Dylan because he couldn't handle getting booed on a nightly basis. He rejoined the group at Big Pink and kept The Band's beat through The Last Waltz. He played Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter. He reformed The Band and lived through the untimely deaths of Richard Manual and Rick Danko. He published an autobiography, This Wheel's On Fire. He survived throat cancer. He appeared as the old blind man in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. He got enough of his voice back that he started singing again, and began hosting all star Midnight Rambles at his home studio/barn.
Last March 12, while on tour with daughter, Amy Helm, and Donald Fagen he sang "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" and "I Shall Be Released" at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey. His voice was ragged but his spirit was right. Give 'em a listen:
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
I Shall Be Released
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