Robbie Robertson, The Band’s world-famous founding guitarist, died at 80 after a lifetime of rocking and rolling.
Robbie Robertson, the founding guitarist for The Band, has handed away. Based on Robertson’s longtime supervisor Jared Levine, the world-famous musician handed away on Wednesday. He was 80.
Born Jaime Robbie Robertson on July 5, 1974, in Toronto, the Corridor of Famer performed on The Band’s traditional hits like “The Weight,” “Rag Mama Rag,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Night time They Drove Outdated Dixie Down,” “Atlantic Metropolis,” “Jawbone,” and extra. Nominated for 5 Grammy awards, Robertson arrived on the music scene on the influential age of 16, when he performed for Ronnie Hawkins’ The Hawks. He helped discovered the Americana style and was Bob Dylan’s guitarist on the “electrical” world tour in 1966.
The Corridor of Fame launched an official assertion about Robertson’s passing, which you’ll be able to learn under:
The architect and first songwriter of The Band, 1994 inductee Robbie Robertson modified the course of widespread music within the late Nineteen Sixties. Although born and raised in Canada, Robertson discovered poetry in America’s historical past and mythology, and with a fusion of blues, rock, people, R&B, and nation, his compositions embodied the style that got here to be generally known as Americana. Such songs as “The Weight,” “The Night time They Drove Outdated Dixie Down,” and “Up On Cripple Creek” have develop into cultural monuments, thematically fusing the previous with the current and leaving an immeasurable impression. Robertson’s razor-sharp guitar leads had been a essential a part of The Band’s sound, and after the group’s authentic lineup ended with the epic live performance and movie The Final Waltz, he went on to an acclaimed solo profession and in depth work scoring movies, together with these of director Martin Scorsese.
The Band made headlines in 1968 with its debut album, Music from Huge Pink. The Band shredded the 1969 Woodstock stage and was the primary North American rock outfit to grace the duvet of Time journal.
Comprised of Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel, The Band ripped up the Billboard chart with its 1969 self-titled sophomore launch. In 1973, The Band performed to essentially the most vital viewers in rock live performance historical past on the Watkins Glen Competition in New York. An estimated 650,000 followers gathered to listen to their favourite songs, all laughing, dancing, shouting, and partaking within the Satan’s lettuce because the band melted faces.
In 1987, Robertson unfold his wings for a solo profession, releasing a self-titled solo album with hits like “Showdown at Huge Sky” and “Candy Hearth,” giving followers a cause to sway their hips and lift lighters.
Robertson seems on a number of movie soundtracks, together with tracks for Invoice Murray’s Scrooged and varied movies for Martin Scorsese, together with The Wolf of Wall Avenue and Killers of the Flower Moon.
Right here is Levine’s full assertion on Robertson’s passing:
“Robbie was surrounded by his household on the time of his dying, together with his spouse, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her accomplice Nicholas, and his kids Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine, and Delphine’s accomplice Kenny. He’s additionally survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel, and Seraphina. Robertson lately accomplished his fourteenth movie music challenge with frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon. In lieu of flowers, the household has requested that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to help a brand new Woodland Cultural Centre. Contact: [email protected]“
At present is a tragic day for the realm of rock and roll. I keep in mind listening to Robertson’s work with The Band in my youth. My dad and mom would play The Band’s music in our home continuous, alongside recordings from Cream, Stevie Surprise, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and extra.
We right here at JoBlo want Mr. Robertson’s household, associates, and followers the most effective as they course of and heal from this unlucky loss. If you happen to’ve by no means heard The Band, or Robertson’s different work, do your self a favor and look them up, crank the quantity to eleven, and benefit from the vibes.