Levon Helm, the Arkansas-born drummer and southern-nuanced singer of The Band who also acted in movies, died of cancer Thursday at the age of 71.
Helm’s family announced Tuesday that the musician, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998, was “in the final stages of his battle with cancer” and asked for fans’ prayers “as he makes his way through this part of his journey.”
Helm died Thursday afternoon at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, according to Larry Campbell, Helm’s longtime guitarist and band leader.
 “As sad as this was, it was very peaceful,” he said.
Helm, who played the drums, guitar, mandolin and harmonica, was involved with music his entire life.
Born May 26, 1940 in Elaine, Ark., the son of a cotton farmer, he grew up listening to shows like “The Grand Ole Opry” on the radio and was given his first guitar at age nine.
By 12, he had made his sister Linda a string bass out of a washtub, his website said, and they performed as Levon and Linda.
After graduating from high school, Helm joined Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks as a drummer. In 1959 the Hawks were signed to Roulette Records and had two big hits, “Forty Days” and “Mary Lou.”
Later they were joined by four Canadian musicians, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson. Eventually the group broke apart from Hawkins and became Levon and the Hawks.
The five went on to form The Band in Woodstock, N.Y., where they rented a big pink house. Their sound was described as no-frills rock ‘n’ roll and their first album, “Music from Big Pink,” was released in 1968.
Their next album was “The Band,” and they went on to record seven in all that included such hits as “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
The Band’s last concert was 1976, after which Helm cut several albums on his own and also turned to acting, playing Loretta Lynn’s father in 1980’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and Capt. Jack Ridley in 1983’s “The Right Stuff.”
In 1998 Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer and the intensive radiation that followed damaged his voice, turning it to the raspy whisper heard on his 2007 comeback album “Dirt Farmer.”
Nonetheless, he kept up a touring schedule and “Midnight Ramble” live-performance events at his Woodstock barn.
Helm is survived by his wife of 30 years, Sandy, and their daughter, Amy.