Love Notes From Our Fans
"You played for a dance at an LRY conference in the Berkshires in 1973 or 74. You rocked the house! I got your t-shirt and one of your albums, but I've lost them along the way. It's so great to hear your music again!"
"I will always treasure the music I have from The Deadly Nightshade Band and especially the memory of the one time I saw the band live. I don't know how many elderly male groupies you have, but I know you've got at least one."
"I grew up listening to your music. I wore that album out! ❤ Hope you all are well!"
"I remember Deadly Nightshade at the Saints, located in Boston's financial district. The total joy in that small back room as they played... I also wrote a play titled Deadly Nightshade, concerning five women carving out lives the early frontier, an intentional tip of the hat."
"I produced several tracks for The Moppets at my studio in Okemos, Michgan in the late 60s. They were an amazing group. Pam and 3 of her classmates were touring and we ran into them in Cleveland. Pam's father was Mel Brandt, a legendary broadcaster and the "voice of the Yankees."
"We loved you ... Always danced to your music in Bernardston, Ma., where you played quite often in the early 80's!!"
"I am more than happy to be a fan of the Deadly Nightshade. My actual connection to this band runs deeply into their origins, as I was at one point connected to the Moppets, back in their Mount Holyoke days. I am pleased to add my fan vote of support."
"I made many visits to Amherst in the mid-1970s to see a feminist friend who knew members of the band. I became a great fan, still have one of those LPs, and still play it on my turntable. I will always cherish The Deadly Nightshade and only regret that one member isn't around to read this. All my best to you!!!"
"I saw you in Houston at the opening of Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party! Such a long time ago!"
"I remember calling local radio stations to play High Flying Woman and other songs from this album when it was released as well as requesting the 2 music stores in Enfield, CT to buy your albums to sell."
"I grew up listening to this band! They were amazing! The talent was like none we had ever seen! Would love to hear them again someday! Happy memories!❤️ I have the albums too!"
"I saw you several times, mostly in PA, and it was always memorable, but what I remember best of all is the night you played at a women’s dance at Harvard Law School. Women were a tiny minority then. A student named Roberta Benjamin joined you on stage, wearing a boa. The rest of us danced in couples or circles. I can still remember how joyful and empowering that night was. Thanks!"
"Loved seeing you back in the day at The Lazy River, The Rusty Nail, and Smith College."
"The Deadly Nightshade Band When I started playing music in the 80s, it was comforting to know that people like you, Fanny, Cris Williamson etc. have been out there. Granted I live in a country that isn't a major player on the music market (except for classical), so a career as an international recording artist was quite a far-fetched idea, it was comforting to know you were there. And in the end it got me into quite a comfortable position: I've got my audience here that goes to my concerts and buys my independently-produced records, enabling me to live the life I longed for. I'm a happy camper, and you, along with others, have been the foundation for that."
"I saw you several times, mostly in PA, and it was always memorable, but what I remember best of all is the night you played at a women’s dance at Harvard Law School. Women were a tiny minority then. A student named Roberta Benjamin joined you on stage, wearing a boa. The rest of us danced in couples or circles. I can still remember how joyful and empowering that night was. Thanks!"
"I loved my Deadly Nightshade album (1975) which I got after you toured with Billy Joel and came to my college in Pennsylvania. I pretty much wore the grooves down on that album."
"I found an old National Organization for Women program (Philadelphia, October 1975) in my stash today and remembering how great you all were, thought I'd look you up. I still hum 'Mr. Big.'"
"I remember seeing you all on Sesame Street when I was a kid and still whistle 'Shuffle' at work (we used to call it "the kazoo song")."
"i just saw the post about David Bowie in Facebook and read that Pam had passed. She was an amazing entertainer! I remember the first time I saw this band at Smith College! I became a "groupie" and I went to see this band every chance I could. I still have their first album! This band broke all barriers for woman ! They were on Sesame Street and their song even played on American Airlines! Pam was a true leader for the band and I am sorry I never had the chance to see them with the come back concerts. You are a "High Flying Woman" rest in peace."
"Heard [the news] a moment ago from an old friend. We all used to pile into The Saints in Boston every time you came to town. I'm shocked and numb. Grateful for the time I got to spend with you on the Joel tour. My love and heartfelt sympathy to all of you - - Helen, Anne and the Nightshade family. There's an empty table down at the Fat Boy Grill. Here's to you, Pamela."
"Best band in the biz... ground-breaking original music with a unique style. I remember meeting [Pam] (and all of you) at Queens College as you opened for Billy Joel. I gave her my medallion necklace -- couldn't exchange cellphone numbers, as that didn't exist! Pam was gorgeous and I always had a place in my heart through the decades. My heart is saddened with your loss."
"Your music got us dancing and jumping, singing about our real lives, and made us stronger."
"I recorded the Moppets in Michigan at Lansing Sound way back when. Incredible talent!"
"Your music really helped me back in 1978 and still does to this day."
"Having gone to school in the 5-college area in the mid-late 70's I really enjoyed your music and performances a lot. I saw performances at Smith, MHC, Rahars, Rusty Nail and a couple more. I also played in several rock, bluegrass and R&B bands in the area at that time. I have played drums since 1967, and in 1976 or so, after seeing Anne play a washboard, I tried my hand (fingers) at it. I still play with my original set of thimbles that I purchased at F.W. Woolworth at the Mountain Farms Mall in Amherst. She was my inspiration. Since learning the instrument, I commissioned a local furniture-maker to make a custom washboard for me. It's made of curly maple and Hawaiian koa. I have sat in with bluegrass artists Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, folk heros Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Malvina Reynolds, Guy Davis and others."
"It is wonderful for you to thank [us, but] you gave the performance of a lifetime and something that will always be remembered by all of us. Thanks to you for having the guts to pull this together and then for leading the way on stage to knock the socks off all of us!"
"One of the best evenings ever on the North Fork with amazing memories that last. Congrats to everyone for their hard work and dedication."
“OMG, I just had a huge flashback to being at a concert sometime in '74-'75 when TDN performed at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY! I had to have been THE most sheltered and and naive college kid there ever was, but this band certainly woke me up to what woman can do when they seize the moment!”
“Hello ladies! Hello Deadly Nightshade!! I remember you guys from when I was four years old. I saw you on Sesame Street and heard about you for years. Playing today or not, you guys are fantastic!!!”
“Wow I remember this band, they were fantastic, wish we had them playing out again, they were very talented!!”
"Helen, What a pleasure to hear you play so thrillingly, strings shredding, Saturday night. The energy and charge of the music cast its spell on every one of us in the audience as you and your fiddle magically anchored a rich sound on stage while building it up to an astonishing pitch. Never having heard Deadly Nightshade play before this, I especially enjoyed watching the group's chemistry eddy and soar as everyone hit her stride. Such dignity and talent, not just playing on nostalgia but actually pulling the past forward and making something fresh and original out of it. Thank you! thank you for all the work that went into making this a memorable night. Congratulations."
"So glad you and Ann and Pamela had as much fun performing as we did enjoying it. That poor fiddle of yours will never be the same. It was smoking hot! You are all amazing."
"You all sounded so great, I'd venture to say better than in he old days. [We] had to laugh last night: we took a DVD out of the library called "Women NOW" about feminism in the 70s, and don't you know it ended with "High Flyin Woman". Yup, you definitely sound better now. I hope you can keep it going."
"I wanted to thank you personally for sharing your wonderful talents with all of us. The band had a really really great sound and a great energy."
"The performance and all the subsequent comments from our friends bring tears to my eyes......... it was an extremely moving evening- You all produced a fabulous event- one to make us all proud of for years to come! Thank you for this wonderful gift to our community."
"What a night Helen, & Deadly Nightshade girls Anne and Pam! Brought back my youth; got my juices flowing. Thank you is the understatement of the year. You were great."
"I don't care about the risk of redundancy: you throw a hell of a concert! And as for the rest of you fantastic women - it takes a fork! Kudos to all."
"Thanks to you, [NFWFWF Board], who worked so hard to make this concert one of the best performances ever. Kudos to you, the board and to Deadly Nightshade. It's Monday afternoon and the tunes are still going round in my head, what fun!"
"I feel embarrassed that you gave us a gift. The whole evening was a gift. The music was joyous and raucous and totally fun. Helen and Pam especially are such great musicians and I love Anne's washboard technique. Makes me want to pick one up and give it try."
"The Deadlies provided our community with an amazing performance that will long be remembered by all those who attended. Let me add my thanks to [the Board's] to all of you who made it happen!"
"A night to remember! The band was great, the spirit was energizing. Congratulations to all!"
"What a great concert! Thanks so much for doing it! You are always amazing!"