Amy Helm (born December 3, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the daughter of drummer Levon Helm and singer Libby Titus. She is a past member of the Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Band and Ollabelle, as well as her own touring band. Her debut solo album, ''Didn’t It Rain'', was released in July 2015, and her second release ''This Too Shall Light'' was released September 2018 on

Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

. Helm conducted an in-depth interview about her life and career with The Pods & Sods Network in 2016. That year she and her band performed at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Early life

Helm was born in

Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 20 ...

, United States, and spent her childhood between Woodstock, Los Angeles, and New York City. She attended

Trinity High School Trinity High School is the name of high schools: United Kingdom * Trinity High School, Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland * Trinity High School, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland * Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre, in Redditch, England *Trini ...

where she studied jazz with Dr. Aaron Bell, while singing in bands, playing in New York City clubs and bars.

Music career

In 1999, Helm joined her father in his blues band The Barn Burners. They toured the country playing traditional blues music. In 2001, she was a co-founding member of alt-country ensemble Ollabelle, which toured and recorded for 10 years, releasing three critically acclaimed albums, '' Ollabelle'' (2004), '' Riverside Battle Songs'' (2006), and ''Neon Blue Bird'' (2011). In 2004, she and her father built the Midnight Ramble concerts at his home in Woodstock, NY. The concerts began as a

rent party A rent party (sometimes called a house party) is a social occasion where tenants hire a musician or band to play and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent, originating in Harlem during the 1920s. These parties were a means for black tenants ...

and grew into a Woodstock institution, featuring artists such as Emmylou Harris, Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello, Phil Lesh, and many others. Growing out of the Midnight Rambles, Levon Helm recorded his first album in 25 years, ''

Dirt Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

'', which was produced by Amy and

Larry Campbell Larry W. Campbell (born 28 February 1948) is a Canadian politician that served as the 37th mayor of Vancouver, Canada from 2002 until 2005 and since 2005 has been a member of the Senate of Canada. Before he was mayor, Campbell worked for th ...

. ''Dirt Farmer'' went on to win the

Grammy award for Best Traditional Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1993 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Recording. An award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was also presented. Prior to 1987 ...

in February 2008. In 2009, they recorded ''

Electric Dirt ''Electric Dirt'' is the final studio album from American musician Levon Helm, released in 2009. It is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning 2007 album '' Dirt Farmer''. In '' Uncut''s list of the 150 best albums between 2000 through 2009, ''Electr ...

'', which won the first ever

Grammy award for Best Americana Album The Grammy Award for Best Americana Album is an honor presented to recording artists for quality albums in the Americana music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors ...

, an inaugural category, in 2010. She also was a part of the live album ''

Ramble at the Ryman ''Ramble at the Ryman'' is a 2011 live album recorded by American rock multi-instrumentalist Levon Helm during his September 17, 2008 performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The performance kicked off the beginning of the Americana Music ...

'', recorded in 2008 at the

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

in Nashville. This album won the 2012 Grammy award for Best Americana Album. Helm has extensive credits as a background vocalist and whistler on records by artists such as Steely Dan,

Mercury Rev Mercury Rev is an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York.
Original personnel were Linda Thompson, William Bell,

Rich Robinson Richard Spencer Robinson (born May 24, 1969) is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band the Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 (originally called ''Mr. Crowes Garden'' ...

, and

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife. Although she is often classified as a country art ...

. In 2015, she released her first solo album, ''Didn't It Rain'' which featured her father's last recorded drum performances. The album also featured members of the Midnight Ramble Band and Amy's touring band, as well as other players and singers such as

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

, Bill Payne, and Catherine Russell. In 2017, Helm recorded her second album with producer

Joe Henry Joseph Lee Henry (born December 2, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He has released 15 studio albums and produced multiple recordings for other artists, including three Grammy Award-winning albums. Early life H ...

in Los Angeles. The album features musicians

Doyle Bramhall II Doyle Bramhall II (born December 24, 1968) is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall. Early life Bramhall was born i ...

, Tyler Chester, Jen Condos, and

Jay Bellerose Jay Bellerose is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session and live performance work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists. Biography Bellerose was born in Maine. A jazz enthusiast, he attended ...

, as well as a background vocal section consisting of

Allison Russell Allison Russell is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and activist. Prior to her solo music career, Russell performed as a member of various music groups including Po' Girl, Birds of Chicago, Our Native Daughters and Sisters of the Strawbe ...

, JT Nero, and Adam Minkoff. The album, entitled ''This Too Shall Light'', was released on September 21, 2018 on

. The album's title track premiered on

Rolling Stone Country Rolling is a type of motion that combines rotation (commonly, of an axially symmetric object) and translation of that object with respect to a surface (either one or the other moves), such that, if ideal conditions exist, the two are in contact ...

. Helm currently tours year round with her own band and continues to perform and produce concerts at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, the home of the Midnight Ramble.

Personal life

She currently resides in

. Amy Helm is the stepdaughter of Donald Fagen from Steely Dan through his marriage to Libby Titus in 1993.

Discography

Studio albums

*2015: ''Didn’t It Rain'' *2018: ''This Too Shall Light'' *2021: ''What the Flood Leaves Behind''

Appearances

*1980 – Various Artists: '' In Harmony – A Sesame Street Record'' *1993 – Donald Fagen – ''

Kamakiriad ''Kamakiriad'' is the second solo album by Steely Dan artist Donald Fagen, released in 1993. It was his first collaboration with Steely Dan partner Walter Becker since 1986, on Rosie Vela's album '' Zazu''. Becker played guitar and bass and pr ...

'' *1998 –

Mercury Rev Mercury Rev is an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York.
Original personnel were Deserter's Songs'' *1998 – The Band – '' Jubilation'' *1998 – Levon Helm & The Crowmatix – ''Souvenir, Vol. 1'' *2000 – Steely Dan – ''

Two Against Nature ''Two Against Nature'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Steely Dan. Their first studio album in 20 years, it was recorded from 1997 to 1999 and released on February 29, 2000, by Giant Records. A critical success, ''Two Against Na ...

'' *2001 –

Mercury Rev Mercury Rev is an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York.
Original personnel were All Is Dream ''All Is Dream'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Mercury Rev. It was released in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2001, in France on August 28, 2001, and in the United States on September 11, 2001. The album's front cover features h ...

'' *2002 – Shivaree – '' Rough Dreams'' *2002 – Christine Lavin – ''I Was In Love With A Difficult Man'' *2003 –

Ivo Ivo is a masculine given name, in use in various European languages. The name used in western European languages originates as a Normannic name recorded since the High Middle Ages, and the French name Yves is a variant of it. The unrelated So ...

– ''All In All'' *2004 – Ollabelle – ''Olabelle'' *2004 –

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an American rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli (both members of Savatage) and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel ...

– ''

The Lost Christmas Eve ''The Lost Christmas Eve'' is the fourth album by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was released on October 12, 2004, and is the last album in their "Christmas trilogy", with '' Christmas Eve and Other Stories'' (1996) and '' The Christmas Attic' ...

'' *2004 –

Sean Costello Sean Costello (April 16, 1979 – April 15, 2008) was an American blues musician, renowned for his fiery guitar playing and soulful singing. He released five critically acclaimed albums before his career was cut short by his sudden death from ...

– Sean Costello *2004 –

Kenny White Kenny White is a New York City–based singer-songwriter, studio musician, and writer. For many years, White was a fixture in the NY studio scene, writing and producing hundreds of commercials for TV and radio. In this capacity, he worked with ...

– ''Symphony In 16 Bars'' *2004 – Eugene Ruffolo – ''The Hardest Easy'' *2004 – Jay Collins Band – Poem For You Today *2005 – Laura Cantrell – '' Humming By The Flowered Vine'' *2005 – Shivaree – '' Who’s Got Trouble?'' *2005 – Liz Tormes – ''Limelight'' *2005 – The Levon Helm Band – The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol .2 *2006 – Chris Smither – '' Leave The Light On'' *2006 – Ollabelle – '' Riverside Battle Songs'' *2006 – Donald Fagen – ''

Morph The Cat ''Morph the Cat'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Donald Fagen. Released on March 7, 2006, to generally positive reviews from critics, ''Morph the Cat'' was described by Fagen as his "death album" in an interview with Fred ...

'' *2006 – John Flynn – ''Two Wolves'' *2007 – Levon Helm – ''Dirt Farmer'' *2007 –

The Holmes Brothers The Holmes Brothers were an American musical trio originally from Christchurch, Virginia. Mixing sounds from blues, soul, gospel, country, and rhythm & blues, they have released twelve studio albums, with three reaching the top 5 on the ''Billb ...

– ''State Of Grace'' *2007 – The Alexis P. Suter Band – ''Live At The Midnight Ramble'' *2008 –

Donna The Buffalo Donna the Buffalo is a band from Trumansburg, New York. It plays both original songs and cover versions. A musician friend suggested "Dawn of the Buffalo" as a name for the band, which was misheard as "Donna the Buffalo" and, over thirty years ...

– ''Silverlined'' *2008 –

Arlen Roth Arlen Roth (born October 30, 1952) is an American guitarist, teacher, and author. From 1982 to 1992, he was a columnist for ''Guitar Player'' magazine. Those ten years of columns became a book, ''Hot Guitar''. His father Al Ross (Abraham Roth) ...

– Toolin’ Around Woodstock *2008 – Ollabelle – ''Before This Time'' *2008 – Helm, Hudson & McCoy – ''Angels Serenade'' *2009 – Levon Helm – ''

'' *2009 –

Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer an ...

– ''

Dylan Different ''Dylan Different'' is a smooth jazz album by keyboardist and jazz vocalist Ben Sidran, released in 2009. It is Sidran's thirty-sixth album, and his fourth release with his independent label Nardis Records. Background A tribute to Bob Dylan, ...

'' *2010 –

Elizabeth Mitchell Elizabeth Mitchell (born Elizabeth Joanna Robertson) is an American actress known for her lead role as Juliet Burke on the ABC drama mystery series ''Lost'' (2006–2010). Mitchell also had lead roles on the television series '' V'' (2009–2 ...

– ''Sunny Day'' *2011 –

Blackie And The Rodeo Kings Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are a Canadian folk rock– alternative country band with blues and country influences. The band was formed in 1996, in Hamilton, Ontario, by Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, and Colin Linden. Career Early Period: 19 ...

– ''Kings And Queens'' *2011 –

Matt Andersen Matt Andersen is a Canadian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter from Perth-Andover, New Brunswick, signed to True North Records. He is a Juno Award nominee. His musical career started in 2002 with the New Brunswick band Flat Top. Career In add ...

– ''Coal Mining Blues'' *2011 – Ollabelle – ''Neon Blue Bird'' *2011 – Various Artists – '' The Lost Notebooks Of Hank Williams'' *2011 – Levon Helm – ''Ramble At The Ryman'' *2011 – & Mika Kuokkanen – ''Powderburn'' *2013 – Linda Thompson – ''Won’t Be Long Now'' *2013 – Various Artists – '' Love For Levon: A Benefit To Save The Barn'' *2014 –

– '' The River & The Thread'' *2014 – The Levon Helm Band – ''It’s Showtime: The Midnight Ramble Sessions, Vol. 3'' *2014 –

– ''Weightless'' *2014 –

Marcia Ball Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949, Orange, Texas, United States) is an American blues singer and pianist raised in Vinton, Louisiana. Ball was described in ''USA Today'' as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock ...

– ''The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man'' *2014 – Danielia Cotton – ''The Real Book'' *2015 –

& Teresa Williams – ''Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams'' *2015 – The Mike & Ruthy Band – ''Bright As You Can'' *2015 –

Tracy Bonham Tracy Bonham (born March 16, 1967) is an American alternative rock musician, best known for her 1996 single "Mother Mother". Raised in Eugene, Oregon, Bonham is a classically trained violinist and pianist, and is also a self-taught guitarist. S ...

– '' Wax & Gold'' *2015 –

Colin Linden Colin Kendall Linden (born 16 April 1960) is a Canadian guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Linden plays acoustic and electric guitar, specializing in slide guitar, country blues, and ragtime fingerpicking. He frequently collaborates with ...

– ''Rich In Love'' *2016 – William Bell – '' This Is Where I Live'' *2017 – Various Artists – ''Treasure Of The Broken Land: The Songs Of

Mark Heard John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia. Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam P ...

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Helm, Amy Living people 1970 births American women singer-songwriters 21st-century American singers Singer-songwriters from New York (state) People from Woodstock, New York 21st-century American women singers Yep Roc Records artists Trinity School (New York City) alumni Ollabelle members