Levon Helm, key member of The Band, dies at 71

FILE - In this Nov. 27, 1976 file photo, The Band, Richard Manuel on piano, Levon Helm on drums, lead guitarist Robbie Robertson, center, and bass guitarist Rick Danko, take the stage for their final live performance before a crowd of 5,000 at Winterland Auditorium in San Francisco. A message posted Tuesday, April 17, 2012 on Levon Helm's website by his family says "Levon is in the final stages of his battle with cancer." Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998 and the illness reduced his voice to a whisper. But he still continued to sing on albums and at rollicking concerts at his Woodstock home. Helm was a key member of The Band and lent his distinctive Southern voice to classics like "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." (AP Photo/John Storey, file)