A clay bust of musician Levon Helm by artist Kevin Kresse.
The Levon Helm Legacy Project has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for a permanent tribute to his musician’s life and legacy.
The goal of the project is also to inspire future generations of artists from the Delta.
Plans call for a bronze statue by Arkansas artist Kevin Kresse and the restoration of Helm’s childhood home to create a permanent memorial in downtown Marvell.
The musician’s childhood and lifelong friends have been working together for several years to create a lasting memorial.
Anna Lee Amsden, a longtime friend who was immortalized in his song, “The Weight,” and cooked for Helm and members of The Band for many years, is involved in the effort.
“It was Levon’s wish to keep the music playing on,” she said. “We want to create this memorial in Marvell to preserve his legacy and honor the lasting contributions that he made to both music and film.”
Helm’s childhood home, originally located in Turkey Scratch, has been donated and moved to its current location on Carruth Avenue in downtown Marvell. Kresse has already completed a clay bust of the musician but is waiting on money to bronze and install it next to the home.
The Levon Helm Memorial Highway, a stretch of highway on U.S. Route 49 from Marvell to Helena, was dedicated in June with the help of state Rep. Chris Richey.
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