Leader Of ‘The Band’, Robbie Robertson Dies Aged 80
Robbie Robertson, guitarist and songwriter for Canadian-American group The Band, has lost his life at the age of 80.
A statement from his manager made it known that he passed away on Wednesday surrounded by his family after a long illness.
The Band were an influential act in the late 1960s and also the subjects of The Last Waltz, a 1978 Martin Scorsese film about their farewell concert.
Robertson wrote some of their best-known songs, including The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
Born Jaime Royal Robertson in Toronto in 1943, he left home to pursue a career in music aged 16.
As well as their own music, The Band were known for a spell touring as Bob Dylan’s backing band before the success of their 1968 debut album, Music From Big Pink.
They released a string of acclaimed albums during the 1970s and, after playing their last show as a full band in 1976, reunited without Robertson for a number of tours and studio releases throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Along with keyboardist Garth Hudson, Robertson was one of two surviving members of The Band’s classic line-up.
After The Last Waltz, he collaborated with Scorsese on the soundtracks to some of the director’s best-known films, including 1980 classic Raging Bull and 2019’s The Irishman.
Paying tribute, Scorsese called Robertson a “giant” and “a constant in my life and work.”
“Long before we ever met, his music played a central role in my life – me and millions and millions of other people all over this world,” he said. “His effect on the art form was profound and lasting.”
