Levon Helm, the acclaimed and beloved multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, drummer and singer for the Band lost a long battle with cancer on Thursday in the company of the people he loved. He was 71.
A statement was posted to his website:
Levon Helm passed peacefully this afternoon. He was surrounded by family, friends and band mates and will be remembered by all he touched as a brilliant musician and a beautiful soul.
His family had announced that he was in the "final stages" of cancer just two days ago.
Former bandmate Robbie Robertson, with whom he had a falling out after the Band's last concert in 1976, wrote on his Facebook wall in response to that news:
I spoke with his family and made arrangements to go and see him. On Sunday I went to New York and visited him in the hospital. I sat with Levon for a good while, and thought of the incredible and beautiful times we had together … Levon is one of the most extraordinary talented people I've ever known and very much like an older brother to me.
Tributes and testimonials to Levon Helm began pouring out online almost immediately as news of his death broke.
Patrick Hallahan, drummer with the Kentucky-based indie rock outfit My Morning Jacket, which had performed with Helm, posted the message:
John Darnielle, the prolific head of the lo-fi alt-rock band the Mountain Goats, tweeted.
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello tweeted his thanks for the music:
JEFF the Brotherhood, a two-piece Nashville, Tennessee, rock band consisting of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall had high praise for Helm:
Jazz and folk drummer Matt Wilson praised his impeccable timing:
Singer-songwriter Michelle Branch succinctly articulated what was going through just about everyone's mind:
Chris Baio, bassist for the New York band Vampire Weekend tweeted, simply:
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