Robbie Robertson, Canadian music legend, dead at 80
The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, has died at the age of 80, his manager said on Wednesday.Robertson, who left his Toronto home at age 16 to pursue his rock’n’roll dreams, died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a long illness, Robertson’s manager of 34 years, Jared Levine, said in a statement.“Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death,” the statement added.The Band included four Canadians – Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel – and was anchored by an Arkansas drummer, Levon Helm. Originally dubbed The Hawks as the backing band for rockabilly wild man Ronnie Hawkins, they gained attention supporting Bob Dylan on his Going Electric tours of 1965-1966.After changing their name to The Band and rebasing in Woodstock, New York, they became one of the most respected groups in rock.
Their 1976 farewell concert in San Francisco was the basis of Martin Scorsese’s 1978 movie The Last Waltz.The Band had a unique chemistry. Known for their vocal harmonies, they had three excellent singers in Helm, bassist Danko and pianist Manuel.
Organist and multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson was also crucial.“They were the goods,” Robertson wrote of his four band mates in his 2016 autobiography, Testimony. “This band was a real band.
No slack in the high wire here. Everybody held up his end with plenty to spare.”“The impact of The Band’s first album can’t be exaggerated,” critic Greil Marcus wrote in 2000, referring to their 1968 debut album, Music from Big Pink.
It contained The Weight and Dylan’s I Shall Be Released, among others.Their 1969 sophomore album, titled simply The Band, was even better. With their frontiersman look and unique blend of folk, rock, country, soul and gospel, The Band
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