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Thanks a lot for that clip Liberty. I’ve seen the musical part many times and it demonstrates Levon’s unique whistling gift, but honestly, I had never seen the interview portion. I’m thoroughly impressed with Levon’s modesty and down-home humble attitudes. He had every right to strut a bit with Conan’s gushing complements and praise and yet, he downplays his roles and status as an icon and actually says he doesn’t consider himself much of a vocalist. He reminds me so much of Chet Atkins, a man they invented the word humble for. Here’s a guy who rubbed shoulders with Beatles and Stones, played Woodstock with Jimi, toured and recorded with Dylan, traded licks with Clapton, Butterfield and Muddy Waters, backed Joni, Dr. John, Van Morrison and Neil Diamond, all of whom showed up to pay homage at The Last Waltz, perhaps one of music’s greatest concert films of all time. And all the while Levon comes off as an ol’ Arkansas country boy, and always shifts the spotlight to someone else, downplaying his role.

I’ve been a Band fan since Big Pink, yet, not until I researched this jukebox did I know the real story of the Helm/Robertson feud about royalties or the fact that they hadn’t spoken in decades until recently mending fences. When The Beatles broke up, the harsh words were tabloid fodder. When Van Halen battles it gets 30 pages in Rolling Stone and journalists fill books about the schisms. When Steve Tyler and Joe Perry went at it, it was all aired in public and Ginger Baker complaims to this day about Jack Bruce’s royalties from Cream. I really had to dig to find Levon’s gripes, and when I finally found the trail, buried in obscure interviews where the questions were designed to create sensation, Levon again shifted the spotlight. He seemed uncomfortable with the questions and gave a single example, and it wasn’t “hey, I sang all those songs, I contributed this or that, I came up with the hook on that tune”, he instead used Garth Hudson and ‘Chest Fever’ as his single example saying Garth’s contribution was always grossly under-estimated and under-credited because ‘Chest Fever’ sometimes featured an extended Toccata and Fugue live intro that was pure Garth before the band broke into that rightous hook with Levon’s relentless backbeat that makes up for Robertson’s nonsense lyrics. In fact, Robbie said himself, “I’m not sure that I know the words to ‘Chest Fever’; I’m not even so sure there are words to ‘Chest Fever’.” Levon simply said, “What do you remember about ‘Chest Fever’ - the lyrics or the organ part?” When he was put on the spot, he politely answered the questions, but he never spoke ill of Robbie or showcased the bad blood between bandmembers although he likely resented that Three Dog Night royalties alone paid Robbie’s mortgage. Levon showed some regret, but he never came off egotistical or greedy.

Levon’s humble attitude was the mark of a great man imho. The Band influenced everyone making music in the 70s and they were as unique in their own way as The Beatles had been. Had they “branded” themselves and gone commercial they could have loomed much larger than the Grateful Dead type cult-status they achieved. They defied labels going comfortably from bluegrass to full blown concert rock, but without pretention or glitter, prefering to pay homage to their forebearers, and present songs that gave a sense of history, honor and a dash of mysticism.

That Conan interview from years ago really gives insight into Levon the man, showing him as he was, a simple craftsman plying his trade. Thanks again.