Photograph, Press- Levon Helm, Mary Steenburgen, "End of the Line"
Object number2013.051.01
Date1987
Associated LocationArkansas
MediumPaper, Ink
Dimensions8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
Credit LineOld State House Museum Collection
Terms
Mark Lavon (Levon) Helm was born on May 26, 1940 outside of Elaine, Arkansas in Phillips County and grew up in Marvell working on the family cotton farm. From the age of six, Helm knew that he wanted to be a musician. He learned to play the guitar when he was eight, traveled a local music circuit with his sister when he was twelve, and formed his first band, the Jungle Bush Beaters, while in high school. He got his first big break in 1957 when he met Ronnie Hawkins and joined his band, Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. Lavon went on to release his first single “Leave Me Alone” in 1964 and two years later, the band known then as Lavon and the Hawks, accompanied Bob Dylan for his 1966 UK tour as his backup band. By 1968 the Band, the name used to refer to combination of musicians by Dylan and the Hawks, recorded what would become their debut album “Music from Big Pink.” The Band went on to influence rock legends such as Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton. After the Band broke up in 1976, Lavon went on to release four albums and have an acting career. In 1994 Lavon and the other members of the Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lavon died on April 19, 2012 from throat cancer. In his memory, Act 810 of 2017 designated U.S. Highway 49 “the Levon Helm Memorial Highway” from Marvell to Helena.
Mary Nell Steenburgen was born February 8, 1953 in Newport, Arkansas. She grew up in North Little Rock and attended Hendrix College. Steenburgen is an actress who appeared in theater productions, on television, and has starred in numerous movies with over 80 appearances in films and TV series. She won an Oscar for Best Actress in a supporting role in “Melvin and Howard” and she was nominated for three Golden Globes, one of which she won for “Melvin and Howard.” She was also nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and won one along with the cast for “The Help.” In 2009, Steenburgen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Outside of acting, she maintains her ties to Arkansas by advocating for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Heifer International, the Thea Foundation, the Blackbird Academy of Arts, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. She currently is married to Ted Danson and has two children.
Jay Russell was born on January 10, 1960, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a director, writer and producer who got his first filmmaking work with Arkansas Parks and Tourism. Russell's first project was the 1987 film "End of the Line," which starred Arkansas natives Levon Helm and Mary Steenburgen and was primarily filmed in Arkansas. Russell also directed “My Dog Skip” and "Ladder 49” and two other films.
Status
Not on view
