February 6, 2013 21:20

Mumford & Sons, Elton John, Alabama Shakes to join forces for Levon Helm tribute at Grammys

The legendary member of The Band passed away last year at age 71

Photo: PA

Mumford and Sons are set to join forces with Elton John, Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, Mavis Staples and Zac Brown for an all-star tribute to the late Levon Helm of The Band at this weekend's Grammy Awards ceremony.

T Bone Burnett will act as musical director for the tribute on February 10 in Los Angeles, which will honour the legendary Helm, who died last year aged 71.

On their Gentlemen of the Road Stopover shows last summer, Mumford and Sons often closed their set with a version of The Band's classic hit 'The Weight'. Scroll down to watch the band performing the track with members of Haim, The Maccabees, Dawes and more in Portland, Maine.

The band also performed the song with Helm at his Midnight Ramble show in March 2012, shortly before his death a month later, on April 19.

The Band released their debut album, 'Music From Big Pink', in 1968, and went on to perform at the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969. Their final show in 1976, which saw guest appearances from Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris and Neil Young, was the subject of the acclaimed Martin Scorsese documentary, The Last Waltz. The band went on to reform in the early 1980s, splitting for good in 1999 upon the death of Rick Danko.

Levon Helm won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album in 2010 with 'Electric Dirt' and in 2012 for the live album 'Ramble At The Ryman'.

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