Overblown Imus Story Ensnares Levon

No matter how badly we want it to, the ridiculous controversy surrounding tired schlock-jock Don Imus just won’t go away. Unemployed Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton continue to steer the ship into the murky waters of race, and Imus’ television simulcast has been yanked off the air like a shaky Vaudevillian.

Enter one of my musical heroes. Levon Helm and Don Imus have a mutual love for one another, and today Levon’s band played Imus’ soon-to-be-suspended radio show for a charity drive (they’re scheduled to play tomorrow as well). But because MSNBC chopped Imus off its schedule effective immediately, Levon’s performance won’t make it to televised air. Un-set your TiVos, folks.

Levon also weighed in the Imus controversy in the Times Herald-Record:

“This whole thing made me sick,” Helm said. “But he doesn’t deserve it. The good that the man has done for so, so many. … It’s a comedy show and he made a mistake.”

Today’s live in-studio performance apparently went off without a hitch. This, from one overzealous and exclamation point-happy Levon lover and Imus listener:

Just listened to LHB on the Imus show from my little computer speakers at work. YOU GUYS AND GALS ROCKED IT !!!!! I was in tears of joy over “The Weight” with Lee, Brian, Theresa, Amy…loved Sammy’s harmonica on I Ain’t Lyin’, Larry’s Chest Fever-incredible, and Lee’s vocals were so strong on Ophelia! Missing the Midnight Ramble, gotta get back to Woodstock feed my soul.

The Imus Fiasco should go away, and Jackson and Sharpton should do something more valuable with their time, like figuring out a way to make Levon immortal.

• Previously on HT: Now I can Die in Peace (Levon at the Beacon)