Sandra B. Tooze – författare

The life of the legendary drummer and singer is explored through extensive research and personal interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians.

In the Arkansas Delta, a young Levon Helm witnessed “blues, country, and gospel hit in a head-on collision,” as he put it. The result was rock 'n' roll. As a teenager, he joined the raucous Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, then helped merge a hard-driving electric sound with Bob Dylan's folk roots, and revolutionized American rock with the Band. Helm not only provided perfect “in the pocket” rhythm and unforgettable vocals, he was the soul of The Band.

Levon traces a rebellious life on the road, from being booed with Bob Dylan to the creative cauldron of Big Pink, the Woodstock Festival, world tours, The Last Waltz, and beyond with the man Dylan called “one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation.”

Author Sandra B. Tooze digs deep into what Helm saw as a devastating betrayal by his closest friend, Band guitarist Robbie Robertson—and Levon’s career collapse, his near bankruptcy, and the loss of his voice due to throat cancer in 1997. Yet Helm found success in an acting career that included roles in Coal Miner’s Daughter and The Right Stuff. Regaining his singing voice, he made his last decade a triumph, opening his barn to the Midnight Rambles and earning three Grammys.

The definitive biography of the last living link to the Chicago blues titans, and the man who shaped the sound of modern rock—revealing how a sharecropper’s son from Louisiana became the mentor, muse, and musical north star for generations of blues and rock stars, while dedicating his life to keeping the blues alive for the futureBuddy Guy is the final living bridge between the Chicago blues and the global explosion of rock music that followed. When Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter ruled Chess Records, Buddy was there—absorbing and pushing the music forward. And he would become the blues oracle to some of the greatest guitarists in history, directly influencing Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and countless others. Drawing on years of research, interviews, and deep access to Buddy’s inner circle—including Clapton, George Benson, Elvin Bishop, Greg Guy, and more—acclaimed music biographer Sandra B. Tooze delivers the most complete portrait ever written of this towering figure. Readers step into London in 1965, where Buddy’s performances changed the trajectory of British rock overnight; into Chicago clubs where his fearless playing redefined the electric blues; and onto global stages where, even in his late eighties, Buddy continues to perform with full-throttle intensity. Tooze also captures Buddy’s struggles with racism and industry indifference, alongside his humor and relentless commitment to mentoring younger musicians. At the heart of the book is Buddy’s lifelong promise to Muddy Waters: that the blues would not die on his watch. Through his club, Buddy Guy’s Legends; his collaborations and his tireless advocacy, Buddy Guy has spent decades honoring that vow. Buddy Guy: The Life of "The Legend" and the Story of the Blues is an intimate biography and a sweeping history of American music, showing how the blues shaped rock, and how one man became its greatest living guardian.

A dazzling, epic biography of Levon Helm––the beloved, legendary drummer and singer of the Band.He sang the anthems of a generation: "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," and "Life Is a Carnival." Levon Helm's story––told here through sweeping research and interviews with close friends and fellow musicians––is the rollicking story of American popular music itself. In the Arkansas Delta, a young Levon witnessed "blues, country, and gospel hit in a head-on collision," as he put it. The result was rock 'n' roll. As a teenager, he joined the raucous Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, then helped merge a hard-driving electric sound with Bob Dylan's folk roots, and revolutionized American rock with the Band. Helm not only provided perfect "in the pocket" rhythm and unforgettable vocals, he was the Band's soul. Levon traces a rebellious life on the road, from being booed with Bob Dylan to the creative cauldron of Big Pink, the Woodstock Festival, world tours, The Last Waltz, and beyond with the man Dylan called "one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation." Author Sandra B. Tooze digs deep into what Helm saw as a devastating betrayal by his closest friend, Band guitarist Robbie Robertson––and Levon's career collapse, his near bankruptcy, and the loss of his voice due to throat cancer in 1997. Yet Helm found success in an acting career that included roles in Coal Miner's Daughter and The Right Stuff. Regaining his singing voice, he made his last decade a triumph, opening his barn to the Midnight Rambles and earning three Grammys. Cancer finally claimed his life in 2012. Levon is a penetrating, skillfully told tale of a music legend from Southern cotton fields to global limelight.