Here's a really, really great video on Richard Manuel (and oh yeah, The Band).

@bdp24 

Thanks for posting the video. The Band will always be one of my favorites. Every week I listen to one of their first two records.

In the book about The Band, "Across the Great Divide," Robbie Robertson says when he wrote "The Shape I'm In," he was witnessing Richard Manuel's descent into alcoholism and heroin addiction. 

@bdp24

So many musicians used heroin. Both Stan Getz and Philly Jo Jones said they used heroin because it gave them the energy they needed to cope with the demands of playing.

Robbie Robertson says Richard, Rick and Levon’s heroin use is one of the reasons The Band’s music suffered and contributed to his decision to leave. Of course, RR had his own drug use problems. Seems to go with the territory.

This is how Jerry Garcia described heroin and drugs in general- “It’s one of those places you turn with your problems, and pretty soon all your problems have become that one problem. Then it’s just you and the drugs."

I haven’t heard of Evan Johns and looked him up--a musician’s musician, who has played with many good musicians.

@bdp24 -

"The debut Paul Butterfield Blues Band album was the first "real" Blues music I heard."

We must be close in age because my friends and I had a similar experience. I was a nascent guitarist who was totally bowled over by Mike Bloomfield’s skill. His sound and approach was widely admired and emulated. Early electric Jerry Garcia owes a debt to Bloomfield. The "thin wild mercury" sound of Bob Dylan wouldn’t have existed without Bloomfield (and Robbie Robertson). And of course, Bloomfield was someone else whose life was cut short because of drug abuse.

In the late 1970’s, The Lone Star Cafe, in NYC hosted Richard, Rick and Paul on a fairly regular rotation. Along with Dr. John, you could see "roots" music for a $10 ticket and two beers.

@bdp24 

You're still a young man! Cleanish living and you definitely got your exercise. Now, the gym has replaced working-man-full-body-workouts. Doing pretty well, myself, at 72. 

Saw The Flag at Cafe Au Go Go in Winter, 1968. Rumors were Hendrix was jamming with them, and would play with them during this run. Didn't happen. But, they did play together a few months later at the Fillmore East.

The Flag had chops! round this time, after Bloomfield quit/was fired, Super Session was released. Stephen Stills, Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield and members of The Flag. I still play that one.

Later was Bloomfield/Kooper at the Fillmore, with the classic "Hey Jude/Mr. Fantasy" pairing. 

@bdp24 

"But he no longer has to do the manual labour."

Someone else puts his wrestling mask on his face?