Levon Helm

When I think of Levon Helm, I think of a voice that was pure Americana.  In fact, the Band practically invented the genre (along with CCR), and Helm's Southern Drawl mixed with the Band's Rock/Dixieland/Country leanings were a volatile mix (along with Rick Danko's vocals).  And it is this that made Helm a hero to all the Country-Rockers that followed in the Band's wake.

Must also say that Helm had a great voice for Documentary work.  In fact he narrated one of my favorite Elvis Presley docs called Elvis '56.  Find it if you can, made years before throat cancer took away some of his vocal prowess.