Robbie Robertson, the guitarist and main songwriter in the Canadian-American rock group The Band, has died at the age of 80, his manager said.
Robertson, who left his Toronto home at age 16 to pursue his rock ‘n’ roll dreams, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a long illness, Jared Levine, his manager of 34 years, 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, the group served as the backing band for rockabilly wild man Ronnie Hawkins, before gaining attention by performing with Bob Dylan on his “Going Electric” tours from 1965 to 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 documentary 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.
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