John Barry author of Levon Helm: Rock, Roll & Ramble: The Inside Story of the Man, the Music and the Midnight Ramble

10 Things to Know About Music Journalist John Barry

By inside + out | May 5, 2024

Veteran music journalist John Barry spent more time with local legend Levon Helm than most. What long ago started as a professional relationship writing for the Poughkeepsie Journal about Levon Helm and his legendary Rambles soon bloomed into a close friendship. John would eventually weave his observations and interviews into an intimate history which offered a lens into the creative and emotional life of this extraordinary musician and local fixture in his book, Levon Helm: Rock, Roll and Ramble: The Inside Story of the Man, the Music and the Midnight Ramble.

: Photo by Dino Perrucci and Design by Mike Dubois

Now he is working on a new tome and multimedia project about “the many world-class guitarists, in genres from folk and country to jazz, blues and rock, who have called Woodstock and the Hudson Valley home.

This will showcase guitarists both famous and more obscure who have gleaned inspiration from the town of Woodstock. I was honored and thrilled to be invited by Woodstock guitarist and lifelong resident Rennie Cantine, who is also the guitarist in the band Sabrina and the Gems, to work on this upcoming project.

You can read more about this local fly-on-the-wall wordsmith in our Exclusive Interview: We Are Upstate NY With Music Journalist John Barry on Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble. And, read our interview with a much-loved local musician and artisan, Rennie Cantine.

For now, here are 10 Fun Facts to get you acquainted with John Barry:

What is your most treasured possession?
My wedding ring.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife, Amy.

When and where were you the happiest?
At the Midnight Ramble, listening to Levon sing “Ophelia.”

What is your greatest fear?
Becoming irrelevant.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Sea Salt and Caramel Gelato at Tony & Nick’s Italian Kitchen in Uptown Kingston.

What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could fix things. Beyond changing a lightbulb in a car headlight, I am useless.

Who are your heroes in real life?
My wife, my four siblings, my close friends.

Which living person do you most admire?
President Jimmy Carter.

If you could have one superpower, what would that be?
I would like to fly.