Levon Helm: 1940-2012

Levon Helm, drummer and singer of The Band, died this afternoon after a lengthy battle with throat cancer.

After the family informed fans of Helm's dire health a few days ago, stories, well-wishes, and prayers flooded in from across the globe via Facebook and Twitter.

Helm's daughter posted that she would be reading these comforting massages to her father in the coming days.

The following announcement was posted on his official Facebook page this afternoon: "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."

Early in his career, Helm along with Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel, backed Ronnie Hawkins as The Hawks.

They later joined with Bob Dylan and named themselves The Band.

Credited with reviving the Americana sound at a time when psychedelia was in the forefront, The Band released its debut recording, Music From the Big Pink, in 1968.

Between 1968 and 1998, The Band went on to release 10 other studio recordings, and three live concert albums, the most notable of which was 1978's The Last Waltz, recorded live during The Band's farewell concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco in 1976.

Songs such as The Weight, Up on Cripple Creek, The Shape I'm In, and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down are now music standards.

Helm enjoyed an extremely successful post-Band career, releasing a number of solo efforts, including two in 2011 - Ramble at the Ryman and The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams.

He was awarded the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing in 2003 and the AMA Artist of the Year in 2008.

In 2007, Helm received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album for his release Dirt Farmer, and in 2009 the Best Americana Album Grammy Award for Electric Dirt.

Despite being first diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998, Helm continued to record, perform and tour until very recently.

Helm was 71 years old.