To Kingdom Come

On anniversary of tragic death (by hanging) of The Band's great Richard Manuel, Mojo carried this tribute last year, and now it's come along along.   We all know that Music from Big Pink changed the course of rock, and the life of many musicians, such as Eric Clapton, and here's Eric:  "For me he [Richard] was the true light of The Band. The other guys were fantastic talents, of course, but there was something of the holy madman about Richard. He was raw. When he sang in that high falsetto the hair on my neck would stand on end.”  I've posted this before, but here's a true highlight below, famously shot in Sammy Davis Jr.'s pool house in L.A.  Plus his immortal "Whispering Pines."  And Lucinda's recent version of it.  And "Tears of Rage" at Woodstock--yes, Richard co-wrote one of the greatest songs of the century.  I always liked Levon's explanation for why he thought The Band could go out on their own in 1967: "Well, we had the best singer."