FP News Features

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Elton John, Mumford & Sons, T Bone Burnett to pay tribute to Levon Helm at Grammy Awards

By: Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press

Posted: 02/6/2013 9:29 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 02/6/2013 11:18 AM

FILE - In this Aug. 14, 2009 file photo, Levon Helm performs with the Levon Helm band during the Heroes of Woodstock concert at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, N.Y. Elton John and Mumford & Sons will hit the Grammys stage to pay tribute to Levon Helm. The Recording Academy announced Thursday that T Bone Burnett, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes will also perform “The Weight” at Sunday's awards ceremony in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Elton John and Mumford & Sons will hit the Grammys stage to pay tribute to Levon Helm.

The Recording Academy announced Wednesday that T Bone Burnett, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes will also perform "The Weight" at Sunday's awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

"Can you think of a song that fits (more)?" said Ken Ehrlich, producer of the Grammy Awards. "Philosophically it fits the moment."

Helm was the drummer and singer for The Band. He died of complications from cancer last year at age 71.

The Band's 1968 debut, "Music From Big Pink," and its follow-up, "The Band," remain landmark albums of the era, and songs such as "The Weight" and "Cripple Creek" have become rock standards. Early on, The Band backed Bob Dylan on his sensational and controversial electric tours of 1965-66 and collaborated with him on the legendary "The Basement Tapes."

Ehrlich said the lineup of performers is a representation of Helm's diverse sound. They'll sing "The Weight" when the show has its in memoriam tribute, which honours musicians who died last year.

"Generationally it's very mixed, and genre-wise it's certainly mixed, and ... that's what (Helm) was all about," Ehrlich said. "He was about old and young, country and pop. He was this incredibly eclectic artist."

The 55th annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS.

___

Online:

http://grammy.com

___

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More FP News Features

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.