WOODSTOCK, N.Y. - Levon Helm, a former member of The Band, is in the final stages of his long battle with cancer.
A message posted Tuesday on the 71-year-old musician'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."
Original members of The Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
In this Oct. 9, 2009 file photo, Levon Helm, right, performs with his band on the "Imus in the Morning" program on the Fox Business channel, in New York. At center is his daughter Amy Helm. A message posted on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 on the 71-year-old musician'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/Richard Drew)