Robbie Robertson, the lead guitarist of the Band and a songwriter who significantly influenced the sound of American rock music, died on August 9. He was 80. Robertson died surrounded by family, according to a statement from his longtime manager, Jared Levine. “In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to support the building of their new cultural center,†Levine wrote.
Born in 1943 to parents of Mohawk, Cayuga, and Jewish descent, Robertson was raised on the Six Nations reserve southwest of Toronto before dropping out of high school and pursuing the new sounds emerging in the United States. His group, originally the Hawks and then aptly rechristened the Band, formed in the 1960s as a supporting piece for rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins and later Bob Dylan with their 1967 record, The Basement Tapes. As a group, the Band released ten studio albums, though they are defined by their first two — Music From Big Pink (1968) and The Band (1969) — during which they explored a freewheeling blend of intimate Americana. This era produced their best tracks, including “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,†“The Weight,†and “Up on Cripple Creek.â€
After taking a break in the late 1970s, Robertson remained active in music through the partnership he struck up with director Martin Scorsese, the man behind the documentary The Last Waltz, which follows the mythic Robertson-organized concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom. “Robbie Robertson was one of my closest friends, a constant in my life and my work,†Scorsese said in a statement, obtained by Deadline. “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. The Band’s music, and Robbie’s own later solo music, seemed to come from the deepest place at the heart of this continent, its traditions and tragedies and joys.â€
Robertson steered the composition for Scorsese films such as The Color of Money, The King of Comedy, The Departed, The Irishman, and, most recent, Killers of the Flower Moon, out this fall. “I could always go to him as a confidante. A collaborator. An advisor. I tried to be the same for him,†Scorsese said. “There’s never enough time with anyone you love. And I loved Robbie.â€
This post has been updated.