Fresh from bringing the spirit of the Midnight Ramble to the High Sierra Music Festival stage, Amy Helm sits down with the hosts for a moving and unflinching conversation about family, recovery, and carrying forward a legacy. Recorded backstage among the festival magic, this episode blends raw honesty with deep musical history.
Listen to Amy open up about:
- The Phoenix Rising: How Levon Helm turned personal crisis into renewal with the legendary Midnight Rambles in his Woodstock barn, sparking his recovery and Grammy-winning resurgence.
- The Kitchen Meeting That Changed Everything: An encounter between the Helm and Lesh families that inspired Phil Lesh to build Terrapin Crossroads.
- Holding a Legacy: What it means to carry forward a parent’s vision with authenticity.
- Bringing the Ramble to High Sierra: The first-ever festival Ramble, with Amy’s son on drums alongside original band members, capturing the tradition’s family spirit.
- Phil Lesh as Mentor: How Phil guided her into the Grateful Dead songbook and gave her permission to reinvent songs in her own voice.
- Writing Silver City: Turning her own stories—and the story of a young fan lost to addiction—into songs of resilience, honesty, and self-discovery.
- Festivals, Family, and Community: Why inclusive, non-pretentious festivals matter more than ever in an industry full of “taste-makers.”
Equal parts storytelling and testimony, Amy Helm’s words remind us that music is more than entertainment — it’s survival, legacy, and the thread that binds communities together.
HIGHLIGHTS
“The whole thing about holding a legacy… it doesn’t matter whether your dad was a carpenter or a drummer. What matters is how other people are remembering it and feeling filled up by it.”
— Amy Helm on carrying forward Levon Helm’s vision
“The Midnight Rambles were about recovery — physically, spiritually, financially. My dad started with 20 people just to pay the electric bill, and from there he got his voice back, his career back, and won three Grammys.”
— Amy Helm on the rebirth of Levon Helm
“Phil showed me that these songs were meant to be rediscovered in every fraction of every moment. That gave me permission to find my own way into the Grateful Dead tradition.”
— Amy Helm on Phil Lesh as mentor
SHOWS
Join Amy Helm w/ The Helm Family Midnight Ramble at the Levon Helm Down Home Jubilee
October 18, 20025 - Marvell, AR
Catch the remaining 2025 "Midnight Ramble" shows at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY on Nov 1, 28 and New Year's Eve!
Check the calendar of other artists appearing at the venue in 2025 including Tales From The Green Room guests Sam Grisman (Sam Grisman Project) on October 21 and Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats) on Halloween.
MUSIC
Money On 7, Amy Helm – Available on Tidal – High Fidelity Music Streaming
Music and Lyrics by Amy Helm, JT Nero
Cotton And The Cane, Amy Helm – Available on Tidal – High Fidelity Streaming
Music and Lyrics by Amy Helm, Mary Gauthier
LINKS
Amy Helm Official Website
Levon Helm Studios - Home Of The Midnight Ramble
THUMBNAIL PHOTO BY GABRIEL DAVID BARKIN
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