Editing Levon Helm (section)

{{short description|American drummer and vocalist (1940–2012)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Levon Helm
| image              = Levon Helm, 1971.jpg
| caption            = Helm playing the mandolin in 1971
| birth_name         = Mark Lavon Helm
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1940|5|26}}
| birth_place        = [[Elaine, Arkansas]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2012|4|19|1940|5|26|mf=yes}}
| death_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.
| resting_place      = Woodstock Cemetery
| occupation         = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter|singer|record producer|actor}}
| years_active       = 1957–2012
| spouse             = {{marriage|Sandra Dodd|September 7, 1981}}
| partner            = [[Libby Titus]] (1969–1978)
| children           = [[Amy Helm]]
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes      <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| background = solo_singer    <!-- mandatory format: please do not change or remove -->
|genre = {{flat list|
*[[Rock music|Rock]]
*[[Americana (music)|Americana]]
*[[country music|country]]
*[[folk music|folk]]
*[[roots rock]]}}
|instrument = {{flat list|
*Drums
*vocals
*mandolin
*guitar
*bass
*harmonica}}
|label = {{flat list|
*[[Capitol Records|Capitol]]
*[[MCA Records|MCA]]}}
|past_member_of = {{flat list|
*[[The Band]]
*[[Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band]]
}}
|website = {{URL|levonhelm.com}}
}}
}}

'''Mark Lavon''' "'''Levon'''" '''Helm''' (May 26, 1940&nbsp;– April 19, 2012)<ref name="Levon Helm Dies at 71">{{cite web|url=http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20120419/ENT04/120419019/LEVON-HELM-DIES-71?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7C%7Cp|title=Levon Helm Dies at 71|publisher=Poughkeepsie Journal.com|access-date=April 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002173759/http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20120419/ENT04/120419019/LEVON-HELM-DIES-71?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7C%7Cp|archive-date=October 2, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for [[The Band]], for which he was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994. Helm was known for his deeply soulful, [[country music|country]]-accented voice, [[Multi-instrumentalist|multi-instrumental]] ability, and creative drumming style, highlighted on many of the Band's recordings, such as "[[The Weight]]", "[[Up on Cripple Creek]]", and "[[The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down]]".

Helm also had a successful career as a film actor, appearing as [[Loretta Lynn]]'s father in ''[[Coal Miner's Daughter (film)|Coal Miner's Daughter]]'' (1980), as [[Chuck Yeager]]'s friend and colleague Captain [[Jack Ridley (pilot)|Jack Ridley]] in ''[[The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff]]'' (1983), [[Laura Dern]]'s father in ''[[Smooth Talk]]'' (1985), as a Tennessee firearms expert in ''[[Shooter (2007 film)|Shooter]]'' (2007), and as [[John Bell Hood|General John Bell Hood]] in ''[[In the Electric Mist]]'' (2009).

In 1998, Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer which caused him to lose his singing voice. After treatment, his cancer eventually went into remission, and he gradually regained the use of his voice. His 2007 comeback album ''[[Dirt Farmer]]'' earned the [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album|Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album]] in February 2008, and in November of that year, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked him number 91 in its list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/levon-helm-19691231|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104195120/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/levon-helm-19691231|archive-date=2011-01-04 |title=100 Greatest Singers: Levon Helm |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2012-12-05}}</ref> In 2010, ''[[Electric Dirt]]'', his 2009 follow-up to ''Dirt Farmer'', won the first [[Grammy Award for Best Americana Album]], a category inaugurated in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/01/31/life/doc4b661dc126721222385056.txt |title=Woodstock residents Levon Helm, Steve Earle win Grammys |work=Daily Freeman: Kingston New York daily newspaper covering local, regional, and national news (dailyfreeman.com) |publisher=dailyfreeman.com |access-date=2011-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220010623/http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/01/31/life/doc4b661dc126721222385056.txt |archive-date=February 20, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, his live album ''[[Ramble at the Ryman]]'' won the Grammy in the same category.<ref name="Best Americana Album">{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees?year=2011&genre=59|title=Best Americana Album|publisher=Grammy.com|access-date=December 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203203945/http://www.grammy.com/nominees?year=2011&genre=59|archive-date=December 3, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, ''Rolling Stone''  ranked him number 22 in its list of 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-77933/ |title=100 Greatest Drummers: Levon Helm|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=March 31, 2016}}</ref>