Levon Helm died yesterday, April 19th, of throat cancer at age 71. He was diagnosed in 1998, the year he turned 58, and during that time had 28 radiation treatments that helped give him over a decade more to live. Before his diagnosis he was reportedly a heavy smoker, a many as three packs a day.
It’s wonderful that modern medicine gave them those extra years. Alarm bells should go off for oral sex as a risk factor as well as tobacco.
Who are at risk?
– Big time smokers
– Alcohol users
– People with poor diet
– People with HPV
– People who are actively pursuing oral sex
– Genes
– Those who were repeatedly exposed to asbestos
– Those with GERD and human herpesvirus
As a music fan, I did see Levon Helm perform with The Band at Watkins Glen in the summer of 1973. So many people were there, over 600,000, seeing isn’t really the right word. We could see the stage at a distance, so it was more a background listening experience through the crowd noise. I played some of The Band’s songs as a disc jockey at Colby College in Maine from 1974-1976, but not much because most of their best songs were from the ’60’s, and my focus was on newer releases. I didn’t care for their 1975 Northern Lights – Southern Cross. I remember being annoyed listening to “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” on the radio, especially Joan Biaz’s cover in 1971 which became a hit and got a good deal of radio airplay. Any ballad gets a tedious after repeated air plays, especially a cover. I never bothered to buy any of their records, or back catalog as I did many of my favorites when CD’s became established, but The Band were certainly an enjoyable and essential part of that era’s music. The opening lyrics to “The Weight” sometimes rolls through my head.
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.
“Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?”
He just grinned and shook my hand, and “No!”, was all he said.(Chorus:)
Take a load off Anny, take a load for free;
Take a load off Anny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.