Levon Helm was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor, best known as the drummer and one of the lead vocalists of The Band. A native of Arkansas, his deep-groove drumming and his voice, rich with soul and country inflections, were fundamental elements in defining the group's Americana sound. He was the unmistakable voice on classics such as "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." After The Band disbanded, he embarked on a solo and film career, acting in movies like *Coal Miner's Daughter*. In the final years of his life, after a battle with throat cancer, he experienced a remarkable artistic resurgence with the albums *Dirt Farmer* (2007) and *Electric Dirt* (2009), both of which earned Grammy Awards. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band, capping a career that profoundly influenced American roots music.