Levon

A dazzling, epic biography of Levon Helm--the beloved, legendary drummer and singer of the Band.He sang the anthems of a generation: The Weight, Up on Cripple Creek, and Life Is a Carnival. The result was rock 'n' roll. Levon Helm's story--told here through sweeping research and interviews with close friends and fellow musicians--is the rollicking story of American popular music itself.In the Arkansas Delta, a young Levon witnessed blues, country, and gospel hit in a head-on collision, as he put it.

Helm not only provided perfect in the pocket rhythm and unforgettable vocals, he was the Band's soul.Levon traces a rebellious life on the road, from being booed with Bob As a teenager, he joined the raucous Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, then helped merge a hard-driving electric sound with Bob Dylan's folk roots, and revolutionized American rock with the Band.