Levon Helm, the drummer and singer of the classic rock group named simply "The Band," is in the final stages of cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Helm, 71, has battled throat cancer since the late 1990s. 

The Band originated in the 1960s and gained recognition when it accompanied Bob Dylan when he went electric. They disbanded with one last epic concert, which was made into a Martin Scorsese documentary titled "The Last Waltz." It later reunited in the 1990s with a new studio album but called it quits after Helm's health deteriorated. 

Helm had multiple acting roles in "The Coal Miner's Daughter," "The Right Stuff," and more recently "Shooter." 

Here's Helm singing (one of my personal favorites) Ophelia in the Last Waltz: