Show Notes
After navigating a tumultuous phase in his life marked by heavy drinking and the disbandment of The Band, Richard Manuel entered rehab, marking a pivotal step toward reclaiming his passion for music. In 1978, returned to the studio with old friend Happy Traum, contributing to Traum's debut solo album "Bright Morning Stars." He also collaborated with musicians Terry Danko and Marty Grebb and reconnected with Gerry Goffin for songwriting. Manuel's musical revival included working with Bonnie Raitt on her critically acclaimed album "Greenlight" and joining Willie Nelson and Webb Pierce for a spirited session on "In The Jailhouse Now." This period marked a creative resurgence for Manuel, blending his soulful voice and piano mastery across diverse projects while reflecting on his enduring connection to The Band. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from The Band: A History
Levon Helm built The Barn in Woodstock as a place to keep making music, make a home and then when stuggles hit - through throat cancer and in the process, built something just as lasting with his daughter Amy, who grew up on that stage and has kept it running ever since he passed.
Jericho was the first Band studio album in sixteen years, and by the time it arrived a lot had changed. Richard Manuel was gone. Robbie Robertson was gone. What remained were Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson, joined by Jim Weider, Randy Ciarlante, and Richard Bell, trying to figure out what The Band could still sound like in the 1990s.
This episode traces the final years of Richard Manuel, from The Band’s relentless touring in 1984–86 to his last night in Winter Park, Florida. We follow the grind of the road, the pressures that built around him, and the moments of beauty still present in his late performances. This is the story of a brilliant singer living through the hardest years of his life, the night everything changed, and the music and tributes he left behind.
This episode follows guitarist Jim Weider, from growing up in Woodstock to finding his way onto the road with Levon, Rick, Richard, and Garth. We trace how he joined The Band in the mid-’80s, held things together through years of hard touring, helped shape their final studio records in the ’90s.