Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist for the Band and acclaimed solo artist, has died after a battle with throat cancer. He was 71 years old.

As we had previously reported, Helm was in the “final stages” of the illness, according to his wife and daughter.

Playing music since he was six years old in Arkansas, Helm took in the best of the blues, soul, R&B, and country music made while he was growing up. After high school, Helm joined the Hawks, a popular bar band formed by Ronnie Hawkins and a handful of Canadian musicians; after Hawkins left, the band took the name Levon & the Hawks, which famously toured with Bob Dylan after he went “electric.”  Though Helm briefly quit because he didn’t like the negative reaction from Dylan’s folk fans, he did return in time to join the Hawks on their sojourn with Dylan to Big Pink in Woodstock, New York. The songs that Helm, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson recorded there would become Music From Big Pink, the acclaimed debut of the Band.

The band maintained a healthy career through the late ’60s up until their breakup in the ’70s; through it all, Helm’s steady beat and golden voice became trademarks of the group’s sound. Following the dissolution of the group,  Helm released two solo albums, appeared as an actor in a number of films, including Coal Miner’s Daughter, reformed the Band without Robbie Robertson, and played with artists such as Johnny Cash, Ringo Starr, and Joe Walsh.

At his home and studio in Woodstock, Helm was famous for holding “Midnight Rambles,” performances that featured artists as diverse as Dr. John, Ricky Skaggs and Elvis Costello. The evening shows were originally held by Helm to pay for living expenses and, eventually, his medical bills. Many of the collaborators contributed to Helm’s two Grammy-winning albums, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt.

Even as his health was failing, Helm continued to tour with his band, the Levon Helm Band; the group were scheduled to play shows in  New Jersey and Woodstock on April 6th and 7th,  but both shows were cancelled as Helm’s condition took a turn for the worse.

Helm’s undying enthusiasm for the music he played and loved is something that will continue to be remembered even after his passing. His generosity and tight bonds with other musicians remain unparalleled. Levon Helm Band members Larry Campbell, Amy Helm, Teresa Williams, Brian Mitchell, Jim Weider, Erik Lawrence, Steven Bernstein, Mike Merritt, Jimmy Vivino and many others have been enriched by his music, and, in turn, will continue to enrich us all. Our hearts go out to Levon and his extended Helmland family at this time. Along with being responsible for singing some of the best songs ever recorded, Helm was a shining example of how to live and breathe nothing but music.

Below, Helm plays the classic “The Weight” with the Levon Helm Band and Wilco: