Levon Helm

"A friend of mine took me to Memphis advised me that I should get in the musicians' union. He gave me a set of drums and said, Stay on the job, son."

"With horns and a full rhythm section, the drums always looked like the best seat in the house."

"Drums just always sounded like the most fun part of that good music for me."

"Anytime I switch to another instrument, I immediately turn it into another kind of drum so that I can understand it better."

"Well, somebody's got to sing. They won't hire you unless you sing."

Interview on CBS

The Band - Back To Memphis (at Watkins Glen)

"Lord, when the song wants to pick up and go a little faster towards the end, it's hard for me to resist."

Evangeline - with Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris

"If you give it good concentration, good energy, good heart and good performance, the song will play you."

W. S. Walcott Medicine Show

"I never subscribe to the stay-at-home policy. I'm not sick of the road or sick of eating in good restaurants around the country. I like to travel."


"I like to get within handshaking distance of the crowd. If it happens, they know it, we know it, and that's all we came here for".

The Girl I Left Behind

"My dad and I played music. He teaches me a song or two every time I'm home."

The Band - Ophelia

"Most of our stuff was trial and error. You live with a tape recorder, you turn it on, you play the song and you listen to it."

"I've had all the lessons I could get. I've learned from everybody I've ever met."

"There were no rules, other than that the song should sound good and be fun to play."

Blues So Bad - with RCO All Stars

"Good times don't last long sometimes."

"If you pour some music on whatever's wrong, it'll sure help out."

Anna Lee

"The way to do it is to put as much life into the song as I can. You can either get it to breathe or you can't."

When I Go Away

The Band - The Weight

"We're all dealt with the same hand here, so to speak. I feel like I've had it a lot better than most people. I've had the opportunity to travel and play music all my life."

More at:

http://www.levonhelm.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levon_Helm