Robbie RobertsonEuropa Press
The former guitarist and founder of the rock band The Band, Robbie Robertson, has passed away this Wednesday at the age of 80 after a long illness, as reported by the representative of the Canadian musician, who has indicated that he died “surrounded by his family”. “In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Six Nations of the Grand River to support the construction of its new cultural center”, the manager detailed in a statement.
Robertson also stood out as an actor and composer of famous songs such as ‘The Weight’, ‘The night they drove old dixie down’, or ‘Up on cripple creek’, as well as accompanying Bob Dylan on his tours between 1965 and 1967.
He was also one of the founders of the legendary rock band The Band along with Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm in 1968., until eight years later Robertson himself terminated his stage in the band after offering a concert filmed by the filmmaker Martin Scorsese. In addition, the guitarist released six other solo albums and participated with artists such as Tom Petty or Maria McKee.
Guitarist. Songwriter. Storyteller. Robbie Robertson was a big part of Canada’s outsized contributions to the arts. I’m thinking of his family, friends, and fans who are mourning his loss. Thank you for the music and the memories, Robbie. pic.twitter.com/36UuOq8vhJ
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 10, 2023
As a film producer, Robertson collaborated with film director Martin Scorsese as composer of some of the soundtracks of his most popular films, such as ‘Raging Bull’, ‘The Color of Money’, ‘Gangs of New York’ and ‘Shutter Island’, among others.