Mark Lavon Helm is most recognized for his work as the Band’s drummer and singer. He led his own band when the Band disbanded and went on to have a great music career. He also appeared in several movies as an actor.
At age eight, he started playing the guitar, but soon after, after hearing a performance by the left-handed drummer of F. S. Walcott Rabbit’s Foot Minstrels, he decided he wanted to become a drummer. James “Peck” Curtis, the legendary blues drummer for Sonny Boy Williamson, who frequently performed nearby, also served as an inspiration for him.
Did Levon Helm have any siblings?
Outside of Elaine (Phillips County), Levon Helm was born to Nell and Diamond Helm on May 26, 1940. He has a brother and two sisters. He worked on the family cotton farm in Marvell, Phillips County, where he was raised, but he was always encouraged to perform and sing in church and at home. At age six, Helm saw bluegrass musician Bill Monroe perform and decided he wanted to be a musician.
When he was 12 years old, Helm fashioned his younger sister Linda a string bass out of a washtub. She would play the bass while her brother played the guitar and harmonica while slapping his thighs.
