615. Cathy Smith, featuring Levon Helm and The Band

Trashy Divorces

Hemlock Creatives

History, Comedy

4.5 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 April 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

One especially fascinating figure who intersected with Gordon Lightfoot was named Cathy Smith. As a teenager in Ontario, she'd hooked up (literally and figuratively) with Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel, then future members of The Band. Before her several-year relationship with the married Gordon Lightfoot, she helped The Band get out of a drug bust and gave birth to a daughter who became known as "The Band baby" since no one was quite sure who the father was. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at patreon.com/trashydivorces! Want a personalized message for someone in your life? Check us out on Cameo! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to info@amplitudemediapartners.com. Alicia's Receipts This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of The Band, by Levon Helm (bookshop.org) Use code trashy at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: ⁠⁠incogni.com/trashy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Listen up.
0:01.0	Huh?
0:02.0	That means you.
0:03.0	Yes, you. We know you're pointing at yourself. When it comes to Paddy Power Games, we've got a place made for all sorts. From the experts to the Drama Queens. It's me, the GC. The finance bros. Look at those stocks, lads. We'll stick with slots. It's what we're good at. And not forgetting you. Yes, you, the one listening.
0:21.5	Because at Paddy Power Games, we've got all sorts of games for all sorts of treacles.
0:26.1	Eligibility rules in terms and conditions apply.
0:27.8	Please gamble responsibly.
0:28.8	8 plus gamboloware.org.
0:30.1	Hello and welcome to trashy divorces.
0:32.8	Everybody's favour of good podcast about bad relationships.
0:37.2	My name is Stacey and Alicia. We're continuing on our
0:40.4	Canadian track. A little bit on our Canadian track today. We are beginning the, yep, I said it the first
0:46.7	of the Kathy Smith stories. This lady, holy cats, three, you know me, very famous songs, have been written about Kathy Smith.
0:57.2	Not quite Patty Boyd level here, but Kathy Smith is remembered in song and in history.
1:05.0	We're going to cover Kathy's story here in this birthday week for her.
1:08.8	I want to humanize her a bit.
1:13.7	In the 60s, Kathy was running with the band. In the 70s, Gordon Lightfoot was her man. And in the 80s, Kathy Smith is remembered for being the one
1:22.2	to administer the speedball of death to John Belushi in Bungalow 3 of the Chateau Marmont in March of 1982.
1:30.0	Wow.
1:30.9	Mostly it is that last bit that people think of when they think of Kathy Smith.
1:35.2	Unsurprisingly.
1:36.4	Right?
	...

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