A friend of mine took me to Memphis advised me that I should get in the musicians' union. He gave me a set of drums and said, Stay on the job, son.
Levon Helm

Anytime I switch to another instrument, I immediately turn it into another kind of drum so that I can understand it better.
Levon Helm

By the time The Band did The Last Waltz, the chemistry had changed, and it wasn't a thrill anymore to live that studio kind of life.
Levon Helm

Conway Twitty was always our local hero while I was growing up. He had a series of good bands. I wanted to sit in, if Conway would let me. And he did a couple of times.
Levon Helm

Dad and mom would have preferred that I be a doctor, a lawyer, a scientist, or a great humanitarian.
Levon Helm

Don't we all want what's best for each other?
Levon Helm

Drums just always sounded like the most fun part of that good music for me.
Levon Helm

Drums usually seem to tune themselves.
Levon Helm

Forever Young, by Dylan, is one of my favorite songs.
Levon Helm

Good times don't last long sometimes.
Levon Helm


I don't fool with a lot of things that I can't have fun with. There's not much reward in that.
Levon Helm

I like to get within handshaking distance of the crowd. If it happens, they know it, we know it, and that's all we came here for.
Levon Helm

I like walking on the edge.
Levon Helm

I love horns, and the bigger the band, the better it sounds to my ear.
Levon Helm

I never subscribe to the stay-at-home policy. I'm not sick of the road or sick of eating in good restaurants around the country. I like to travel.
Levon Helm

I played some Yamaha drums that I like a lot. And I like the Yamaha people a lot too. They've been really nice to me and The Band.
Levon Helm

I was in high school, trying to get out of high school. The only thing slowing me up was grades.
Levon Helm

I've had all the lessons I could get. I've learned from everybody I've ever met.
Levon Helm

If things are going slow, I'm itchy.
Levon Helm

If you feel like you're getting into a rut with a song, a night off usually fixes it.
Levon Helm