tagged w/ Short Film
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“Homophobia” is an intensely dramatic short film by Austrian writer-director Gregor Schmidinger, which was released last week in support of The International Day Against Homophobia. The film deals with a theme that’s of major concern in our present-day political and social worlds: homophobia, the fear of homosexuals and of their way of life. “Homophobia” also deals with a perhaps even deeper issue: the fear of oneself being homosexual.
The film tells the story of an adolescent boy serving in the Austrian Military Forces, who experiences homosexual feelings towards one of his comrades. It’s their last night serving on the Austrian-Hungarian border, where they are socially isolated and armed with loaded weapons. On their final patrol, underlying tensions reach a climax, and the young boy must confront both the judgements of others and his own self-understanding.
“Homophobia” explores the difficulties faced by many young homosexuals, and, in a wider sense, outsiders who have to fight against social disapproval. While the subject of fear, persecution and coming out is familiar territory in gay cinema, “Homophobia” takes this important topic and, by telling a compellingly intense story focused on a single main character, is successfully able to universalize it.
This piece includes color photographs, as well as the fiercely poignant short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/homophobia-pathos-and-the-culture-of-fear/“Homophobia” is an intensely dramatic short film by Austrian... more
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“Before They Were Famous: Behind The Lens of William John Kennedy” is an extraordinary collection of images by the photographer William John Kennedy, which is currently on exhibition at the new gallery Site/109 in New York City. The collection presents a number of never-before-seen photographs of Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana, among them Warhol’s “Marilyn Monroe” and Indiana’s “LOVE,” taken by Mr. Kennedy in the mid-60′s when they were both just emerging American artists.
The fact that these early images of the two iconic American artists happened isn’t necessarily the exciting part. It’s that the amazingly early, naïve portraits of the artists with their own works were created before they were famous. These early images sat untouched for over 50 years, until Kennedy uncovered them within his archives and decided it was time to finally print this project.
This piece includes a number of photographs, a photo-gallery and two documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/never-before-seen-photographs-of-the-young-andy-warhol/“Before They Were Famous: Behind The Lens of William John Kennedy” is an... more
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“LA Light” is a truly stunning, serene time-lapse short film by filmmaker Colin Rich, which has been nominated for Best Lyrical Video at the 2012 Vimeo Festival+Awards. The acclaimed film brilliantly captures the electric radiance of Los Angeles at night, paired with the lushly stellar music of Cinematic Orchestra’s “To Build A Home” from their album “Ma Fleu.”
This piece includes color photographs and the wonderful, lyrical short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/la-light-the-electric-radiance-of-los-angeles-at-night/“LA Light” is a truly stunning, serene time-lapse short film by filmmaker... more
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“Blinky™” is a wickedly evil 3D-CG animated short horror film by the Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson, which has been nominated for Best Narrative Film/Video at the 2012 Vimeo Festival +Awards. Robinson broke through to great acclaim with his 3D short film, “Fifty Percent Grey,” which was nominated for an Oscar in 2002 and followed it up with “The Silent City,” a post-apocalyptic short film starring Cillian Murphy.
“Blinky™” is shot with visual execution that is truly masterful, and the story is as bloody creepy as it gets. The amazing thirteen-minute short film stars Max Records from “Where The Wild Things Are” and tells the story of an angst-ridden young boy, who is trapped in a well-to-do, yet toxic home environment where his parents are constantly fighting. For Christmas he requests and gets Blinky™, the latest robot friend/home helper. But will the twisted and increasingly sinister Blinky™ actually turn out to be the true friend the distraught boy desperately wants and needs? Well, so sadly, very probably not….
This piece includes color photographs and the twisted, darkly comical short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/blinky-a-twisted-psychopathic-full-evil-bloody-robot/“Blinky™” is a wickedly evil 3D-CG animated short horror film by the... more
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On April 16, 2012, “Denver Post” photographer Craig Walker was awarded his second Pulitzer, The 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, for his photo-essay “Welcome Home: The Story of Scott Ostrom.” Previously, Walker had been named Newspaper Photographer of the Year in the Missouri School of Journalism’s Pictures of the Year International Competition for the collection of photographs he took over 27 months about soldiers engaged in the Iraq war, which included the stunning images documenting the struggles of PTSD sufferer Brian Ostrom.
After serving four years as a reconnaissance man and having deployed twice to Iraq, Ostrom, who is now 27, returned home to the U.S. with a severe case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since his discharge, Ostrom has struggled with the demands of daily life, from finding and keeping employment to maintaining healthy relationships. But most of all, he’s struggled to overcome his brutal and haunting memories of Iraq and his guilt for things he did and didn’t do, while fighting a war in which he no longer believes.
This piece presents a number of stunning color photographs, a photo-gallery and a very touching documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/welcome-home-the-story-of-scott-ostrom-awarded-2012-pulitzer-prize/On April 16, 2012, “Denver Post” photographer Craig Walker was awarded his... more
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“Caine’s Arcade” is a sweet, heartwarming documentary short film by the award-winning filmmaker Nirvan Mullick, about a 9 year-old boy’s cardboard arcade. Young Caine Monroy built an elaborate cardboard arcade in the front room of his dad’s used auto parts store in a desolate industrial part of East Los Angeles. Eventually Caine’s Arcade grew in size, taking over almost the whole store, while his father sold auto parts on eBay in the back.
Day after day, Caine would set up his arcade and sweep the sidewalks in front, but the deserted street got almost no foot traffic, so Caine’s chances of getting a customer were very small. The few walk-in customers that did come through were always in too much of a hurry to get their auto parts to play Caine’s Arcade. But Caine never gave up.
One day, by chance, Nirvan Mullick walked into Smart Parts Auto looking for a used door handle for his ’96 Corolla. What he found instead was the elaborate handmade cardboard arcade manned by a young boy who asked if he would like to play. Mullick asked Caine how it worked, and he said that for $1 you could get two turns, or for $2 you could get a Fun Pass with 500 turns. Mullick got the Fun Pass.
Charmed by Caine and his arcade, Mullick asked Caine’s father if he could make a film about the arcade, and the answer was yes. But the father warned Mullick that Caine didn’t get many customers. “Well, actually, it’s kind of like a joke around here because you are his only customer,” he says in the film. But Mullick changed all that. In the film, Mullick explains how he decided to create a flashmob of people who would arrive at Caine’s Arcade eager to play some games. He created a Facebook event for the mob, which got posted on Hidden LA, and then got posted on Reddit, and suddenly people from around the world were lamenting that they weren’t able to go to Caine’s Arcade.
It’s worth watching the video just to see Caine’s reaction to the huge crowd of people lined up outside of his cardboard arcade, but we suggest you have a box of tissues nearby. When it was all over, Caine told his dad that it was the best day of his life.
In the past four days, millions of people have watched the short film. And if this story isn’t sweet enough, Mullick set up a scholarship fund for Caine, which has already raised more than $150,000.
This piece includes color photographs and the wonderful documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/caines-magical-cardboard-arcade-hits-150000-jackpot/“Caine’s Arcade” is a sweet, heartwarming documentary short film by... more
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This week marked the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday, and there was a day-long party in San Francisco to mark the occasion. The celebration culminated in a massive fireworks display and light show, and the old bridge looks as beautiful as ever bathed in the light of the fireworks. The bridge, which opened on May 27th 1937, is a wonder of engineering and was named one of the modern Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Seventh Movement has created “The Golden Gate Way,” a beautiful time-lapse short film to celebrate the Golden Gate’s Anniversary, with music by Otis Redding, John Lee Hooker, Scott McKenzie and others. It’s a wonderful video postcard of the celebration!
This piece includes a number of stunning color photographs, as well as the beautiful time-lapse short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/the-golden-gate-bridge-a-75th-anniversary-birthday-party/This week marked the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday, and there was a... more
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“Italiana” - An italian style comedy featuring the Dolce & Gabbana Matt Silk Collection, starring Bianca Balti and Anna Orso.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1yFaS2/“Italiana” - An italian style comedy featuring the Dolce & Gabbana... more
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May 16th marks the 100th anniversary of Studs Terkel’s birth and an occasion to memorialize one of the most prolific writers and cultural critics in the history of Chicago letters. As an author, broadcaster and oral historian, legendary Chicagoan Studs Terkel celebrated the lives of ordinary Americans. Some of Terkel’s many friends and fans are hoping to return the favor with a series of events marking the 100th birthday of a man whose work is a chronicle of the 20th century.
The Studs Terkel Centenary, a group headed up by Terkel’s friends, including Chicago Tribune reporter Rick Kogan, on Saturday will rededicate the Division Street Bridge, which was named after Terkel 20 years ago. On Wednesday, The Newberry Library will host a birthday party featuring guest speakers who will share stories about Studs. Terkel’s friends will ensure that his memory lives on with a day of Studs-only programming on WFMT-FM on his birthday, with performances of passages from Terkel’s 2001 book “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” at Steppenwolf Theatre next week and by phoning in personal anecdotes about Terkel to a hotline set up by Chicago’s Hull House Museum.
This piece includes a number of photographs, an animated short and five documentary short films about the life and works of Studs Terkel.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/the-studs-terkel-centenary-chicago-celebrates-legendary-studs-terkel/May 16th marks the 100th anniversary of Studs Terkel’s birth and an occasion to... more
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An iconic portrait of Elvis Presley by pop artist Andy Warhol went for $37 Million when it hit the auction block tonight at Sotheby’s. The life-size 1963 painting, “Double Elvis (Ferus Type),” epitomizes Warhol’s obsessions with fame, stardom and the public image, according to Sotheby’s. Previously estimated to sell for $30 million to $50 million, it was included in the auction house’s May 9th sale of post-war and contemporary art.
Art auctions have turned into freak-show casinos, spectacles where the uber-rich can act out as much in public as possible, trying to buy immortality, become a part of art history, make headlines and create big profits. They are despicable for what they do to art, for the bad magic of making mysteriously powerful things turn into numbers.
This piece includes a number of vintage photographs, two videos and a documentary about Warhol's art and life.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/another-freak-show-big-money-art-auction-warhols-double-elvis-brings-33-million/An iconic portrait of Elvis Presley by pop artist Andy Warhol went for $37 Million... more
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On Wednesday, President Obama publicly endorsed gay marriage in a television interview and took a definitive stand on one of the most politically charged social issues of the day. Includes photographs and a video of the interview.
“At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Mr. Obama said in an interview that came after the president faced mounting pressure to clarify his position.
Public support for same-sex marriage is growing at a pace that surprises even professional pollsters as older generations of voters who tend to be strongly opposed are supplanted by younger ones who are just as strongly in favor. Same-sex couples are featured in some of the most popular shows on television, without controversy.
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, called the president’s statement “a watershed moment in American history” that would aid efforts to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act barring federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York said, “No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people, and I have no doubt that this will be no exception.”
Chad Griffin, the incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign, said that, “President Obama’s words today will be celebrated by generations to come. For the millions of young gay and lesbian Americans across this nation, President Obama’s words provide genuine hope that they will be the first generation to grow up with the freedom to fully pursue the American dream. Marriage, the promise of love, companionship, and family, is basic to the pursuit of that dream.”
This piece includes photographs and video of the interview.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/obama-publicly-endorses-gay-marriage-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal/On Wednesday, President Obama publicly endorsed gay marriage in a television interview... more
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“Toast to Freedom” is a music video dedicated to human rights activism around the world. Nearly 50 artists contributed to the video, celebrating Amnesty International’s 50th Anniversary. The basic tracks for “Toast to Freedom” were recorded at the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y. One of the last studio recordings by the late Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Levon Helm, it was also one of the closest to his heart.
The song continues a long relationship between Amnesty International and the creative community, which has helped spread the word of its mission almost from the start in 1961. Artists contributing to “Toast to Freedom” included: Levon Helm, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Angelique Kidjo, Ewan McGregor, Saul Hernandez, Donald Fagen, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, Eric Burdon, Taj Mahal, Florent Pagny, Marianne Faithfull, Jane Birkin, Jimmy Barnes, Rosanne Cash, Shawn Mullins, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Gentleman, among others.
This piece includes a number of color photographs, as well as the “Toast to Freedom” HD music video, the “Making of Toast to Freedom” HD video and the “Toast to Freedom” (Long Version) HD music video.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/toast-to-freedom-a-celebration-of-amnesty-internationals-50th-anniversary/“Toast to Freedom” is a music video dedicated to human rights activism... more
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“How to Answer: Why Do You Love Me?” is a wickedly funny three-min. short film by Rhett and Link, containing their invaluable advice for guys about how to respond in that make-or-break moment when their lady poses that certain infamous and dreaded question: “Why Do You Love Me?” These are 10 terrifically goofy romance tips, probably the Best Luv Tips Ever! And they’re absolutely guaranteed to work just wonnerfully for all of the sexes…most of the time…well, maybe sometimes….
But what if they don’t work? Well, in that case just pick up a thesaurus and describe your lover with all the words that truly bring out the best in him/her/whatever. Use words like beautiful, handsome, angelic, divine, simply divine, sublime, alluring, bewitching, stunning, gorgeous, exquisite, marvelous, magnificent, charming, enticing, fabulous and so forth.
These are truly great romance tips that work just perfect for all of the sexes!
This piece includes photographs and the hilarious short film, “Why Do You Love Me?”
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/free-romantic-advice-the-10-most-wonderful-love-tips-ever/“How to Answer: Why Do You Love Me?” is a wickedly funny three-min. short... more
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Fred Hakim, last of the old-time Times Square hot-dog vendors, has died at the age of 83. Mr. Hakim’s family owned a hole-in-the-wall hot-dog counter in Times Square, which was the last of its kind when in the 1990s the city began condemning dozens of establishments like it in order to revitalize the area. The Grand Luncheonette was a seven-seat, 250-square-foot piece of Edward Hopper streetscape on West 42nd Street, which Mr. Hakim’s father had opened in 1941 and wryly named the Grand Luncheonette.
The Grand Luncheonette lived on 42nd Street for 58 years, grandly offering its greasy ambiance to the passing crowds in Times Square, proudly wrapped in shining chrome beneath the rotted marquee of the old Selwyn Theater. Mr. Hakim tried to keep the place open as a sort of living museum-like tribute to the golden age of Times Square’s hawkers, strippers and honky-tonks. But New York’s urban planners had other ideas, and after a two-year fight, he finally was evicted on Oct. 19th, 1997.
Writing about the demise of the Grand Luncheonette, a “New York Daily News” journalist pessimistically concluded: “This is bigger than 42nd Street, bigger even than the Disney Corp. This is about New York being colonized by The Gap and Banana Republic and Starbuck’s and all the rest. If new and improved Times Square is any indication, the standard for Italian cuisine will be the Olive Garden chain.”
This piece includes a number of photographs and the nostalgic, touching documentary short film, “Grand Luncheonette.”
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/the-grand-luncheonette-sadly-no-place-left-at-the-table-for-42nd-street-diner/Fred Hakim, last of the old-time Times Square hot-dog vendors, has died at the age of... more
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An iconic portrait of Elvis Presley by pop artist Andy Warhol is poised to go for as much as $50 million when it hits the auction block in May at Sotheby’s. The life-size 1963 painting, “Double Elvis (Ferus Type),” epitomizes Warhol’s obsessions with fame, stardom and the public image, according to Sotheby’s. Estimated to sell for $30 million to $50 million, it will be included in the auction house’s May 9th sale of post-war and contemporary art.
The silver background of “Double Elvis (Ferus Type),” along with the subtle variations in tone give the serial imagery a sense of rhythmic variation that recalls the artist’s masterpiece, “200 One Dollar Bills,” completed the previous year. That work soared to nearly $44 million or four times its estimate in 2009 and achieved the highest price of any work at the fall auctions. But it was a work from Warhol’s “Death and Disaster “series that set the artist’s record, which still stands. “Green Car Crash (Green Car Burning),” also from 1963, more than doubled its estimate and sold for $71.7 million in 2007, at the height of the art market boom.
In the “Double Elvis” work, Presley is dressed as a cowboy, shooting a gun. Sotheby’s describes him in the work as “a Hollywood icon of the sixties rather than the rebellious singer who shook the world of music in the sixties.” The double in the title refers to a shadowy image of Presley in the same pose that appears next to him in the work.
This piece includes a number of vintage photographs, a video about the Elvis portrait and a documentary about Warhol's life.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/andy-warhols-cowboy-double-elvis-could-bring-50-million-at-auction/An iconic portrait of Elvis Presley by pop artist Andy Warhol is poised to go for as... more
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Remember the parable about the woman who heard the sounds of horrible monsters right outside her house and frantically ran around locking all her doors and windows, only to discover that the monsters were really inside the house, specifically inside of her? Well a similar tale is played out in “Réflexion,” a poetic, funny and absurd animated short film produced by the Parisian group Planktoon in association with Disney animator Yoshimichi Tamura. “Réflexion” is a tribute to Disney films from 60-to-70 years ago, which is built around the concept of reflection. What happens when one’s inner conflict becomes a version of the Evil Queen mirror? Just watch and find out!!
This piece includes colorful pictures and the delightful animated short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/reflexion-a-frightening-tale-of-evil-spirits-within/Remember the parable about the woman who heard the sounds of horrible monsters right... more
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In a surprise move, Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson was called as the prosecution’s first witness in the Hudson family murder trial in Chicago. The award-winning singer and actress broke down and cried on the witness stand Monday as she recalled the brutal 2008 murders of her mother, brother and young nephew, allegedly at the hands of her jealous brother-in-law, William Balfour. “It was always me and my Tugga Bear,” she told jurors of her beloved 7-year-old nephew Julian King.
Balfour is accused of killing Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in the Southside Chicago home where the Hollywood star grew up. Balfour allegedly killed Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, in the living room, then shot her 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, twice in the head as he lay in bed. He then drove off with her sister’s son, Julian King, and later shot the boy, nicknamed “Juice Box,” in the head as he lay behind a front seat, authorities say.
It is anticipated that Jennifer Hudson will attend the entire trial. She was accompanied to court today by her fiancé, the professional wrestler David Otunga. Following her 30-minute testimony, she joined him in the fourth row of the courtroom.
This piece includes photographs and two news videos.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/hudson-family-murder-trial-begins-jennifer-hudson-breaks-down-on-the-stand/In a surprise move, Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson was called as the... more
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Camilo José Vergara has spent more than thirty years documenting poor, urban and minority neighborhoods across the United States. His projects emerge from a large archive of images he has made since 1977 of the nation’s largest ghettos. His exhaustive research has taken him to Camden and Newark, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Maine; New York; and Los Angeles. Vergara takes his camera to places plagued by the drug trade, and to neighborhoods filled with homeless shelters, prisons, and drug treatment facilities. He is a prolific photographer who continues to live in New York City. Vergara has been the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant.
Vergara describes his approach as interdisciplinary, using techniques from fields that include sociology, architecture, photography, urban planning, history and anthropology. He has focused upon the gradual erosion of urban neighborhoods by photographing the same structures repeatedly over decades in order to capture the process of of urban decay. The photography presented here is from Vergara’s project entitled “Invincible Cities.” He returned to the same intersection in Harlem and photographed the changes in one building for 38 years. The images create a composite, time-lapse portrait of one of New York City’s most vibrant and distinctive areas.
This piece includes a number of color photographs, a photo-gallery and a documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/invincible-cities-harlems-painted-lady-on-east-125th-street/Camilo José Vergara has spent more than thirty years documenting poor, urban... more
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Levon Helm, legendary singer and drummer for the Band, died on April 19th in New York of throat cancer. He was 71. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his friends and bandmates, A very sad note signed by his daughter and wife had appeared Tuesday on the official website for multiple Grammy winner Levon Helm, the drummer-singer of the acclaimed and influential rock group, the Band. “Levon is in the final stages of his battle with cancer,” says the note. “Please send your prayers and love to him as he makes his way through this part of his journey. Thank you fans and music lovers who have made his life so filled with joy and celebration…he has loved nothing more than to play, to fill the room up with music, lay down the back beat, and make the people dance! He did it every time he took the stage.”
Levon Helm had reached the final stages of his battle with cancer, which was first diagnosed in the late 1990s. He recovered, but it took him many years to recover his singing voice. At last Saturday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, former Band guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson told the audience, “We all need to send out love and prayers to my Band mate Levon Helm.”
Mr. Helm, a native of Arkansas whose father was a cotton farmer, was an important member of the Band, lending his steady beat and weathered voice to the group’s signature hit songs, such as: “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “The Weight,” “Rag Mama Rag” and “Daniel and the Sacred Harp." The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
This piece includes photographs, slide shows, two music videos and a documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/legendary-levon-helm-drummer-and-singer-of-the-band-dead-at-71/Levon Helm, legendary singer and drummer for the Band, died on April 19th in New York... more
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A very sad note signed by his daughter and wife appeared yesterday on the website for Levon Helm, the drummer-singer of the acclaimed and influential rock group, the Band. “Levon is in the final stages of his battle with cancer,” says the note. “Please send your prayers and love to him as he makes his way through this part of his journey. Thank you fans and music lovers who have made his life so filled with joy and celebration…he has loved nothing more than to play, to fill the room up with music, lay down the back beat, and make the people dance! He did it every time he took the stage.”
Levon Helm, the drummer and singer with the Band, has reached the final stages of his battle with cancer, which was first diagnosed in the late 1990s. He recovered, but it took him many years to recover his singing voice. At Saturday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, former Band guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson told the audience, “We all need to send out love and prayers to my Band mate Levon Helm.”
Mr. Helm, a native of Arkansas whose father was a cotton farmer, was an important member of the Band, lending his steady beat and weathered voice to the group’s signature hit songs, such as: “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “The Weight,” “Rag Mama Rag” and “Daniel and the Sacred Harp.” The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
This tribute to Levon Helm includes color photographs, a slide show, a music video and a documentary short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/a-tribute-for-levon-helm-with-prayers-and-love/A very sad note signed by his daughter and wife appeared yesterday on the website for... more
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