ATLANTA MUSICIANS RALLY FOR MISS HELEN

This past June, Helen Lamar, the long-time employee at possibly Atlanta's finest music venue, The Variety Playhouse, suffered a massive stroke. In the weeks that followed, the VP staff was peppered with inquires and phone calls from people concerned about the Helen's health. She was a familiar face at the Variety, often greeting people and taking tickets at the door, and many were stunned by her sickness.

Helen Lamar by Steve Harris

While she has visited The Variety since the stroke, Helen is still recovering, and she is faced with massive medical bills.

In the great tradition of the Atlanta music scene, James Kelly, Bill Fleming, and their band Slim Chance and the Convicts, took the reins to put together a benefit for the popular "Miss Helen." Kelly called a bunch of Atlanta's finest musicians himself and was struck by the cooperation he found. "The thing that is amazing about all of this is the complete willingness of all of the musicians to help out in any way they could," Kelly said. "I didn't have to ask anyone twice. It reaffirmed my faith in musicians and specifically in the Atlanta music community; the fact that all of these musicians were so willing to help out someone else involved in the community."

The show will be held at Jake's Toadhouse Friday, November 14. The musicians will perform for free, and all of the money raised will go to help the Lamar family with Helen's sudden, extensive debt.

Slim by Claire French

The first half of the show will be a Gram Parsons Tribute. Originally scheduled to take place on Nov. 5th (Parsons' birthday), the date of the show was moved for logistical reasons. Even so, the Parsons theme remained. When the finer Gram-flavored alt-country acts play Atlanta, they usually play The Variety, so why not a Parsons benefit for Miss Helen?

"We have over 30 songs worked up," Kelly says. "We've worked on songs from throughout Gram's career, Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers material as well as pieces from the International Submarine Band and The Fallen Angels." A rotating cast of musicians will result in an array of different takes on Parson's music, and then a jam session will follow into the wee hours of the morning.

Guitarists Johnny Mosier (Good Medicine, Blueground Undergrass), Doug Morton (Angie Goodale Band), Chad Proctor (Caroline & the Ramblers, Sonoramic Commando) and Nashville studio musician (and ex-member of The Convicts) Jon Byrd will rotate throughout the night. Richard Bicknell, No River City (with Drew DeMan and Terri Onstad), and Angie Mosier will all perform as well. Buck Buckley and Patrice Eastham, a married couple whose duets remind many of the Gram and Emmylou Harris days, will also regale the Jake's audience.

Helen is an extremely enigmatic character, and she has touched the hearts of many people who spent time at the Variety Playhouse (the author of this piece is most definitely one), which is located in Atlanta's most organic neighborhood, Little Five Points.

Her sharp wit and warm smile were the prelude to many great evenings I have had at the Variety, and on some occasions, I would get the opportunity to chat with her about music, sports, politics, or even somewhat personal matters. She is an open-minded woman, with an honest heart and a memorable laugh. She would even take time out of her weekends to mow and landscape her mother's lawn, and served as a maternal presence for some Variety employees. "Helen was a 'mom away from home' for a lot of us," Dunlap says with a smile. "She would tell you if you were doing something wrong, and she would really get on you if you knew it was wrong."

This will be one memorable, countrified-rockin' evening to raise money for one of our own. Please join us at Jake's Friday night.

Rob Turner
JamBase | Atlanta
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