As the Band’s chief songwriter and grand conceptualist, the late Robbie Robertson turned old American folklore into modern myths, a knack that gave a timeless quality to such songs as “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
Robbie Robertson, the driving force behind the pioneering rock ’n’ roll group the Band, died on Wednesday. He was 80.In a statement, Levine said that Robertson died in Los Angeles after a long illness. “Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her partner Nicholas, and his children Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine, and Delphine’s partner Kenny,” the statement read.
This regular cinematic work allowed Robertson to pursue an idiosyncratic career as a solo recording artist. After a decade’s absence from music, he returned in 1987 with a self-titled debut designed to sound at home alongside U2 and Peter Gabriel.
Robertson worked his way into the inner circles of the Hawks, writing a pair of original tunes for Hawkins. Hawkins was so impressed that he sent Robertson to the Brill Building to choose the rest of the material for what became his 1959 LP, “Mr. Dynamo.” Robertson became the bassist in the Hawks shortly afterward. His adolescence at times could be a point of contention with club owners, who were reluctant to allow underage musicians in their venue; Hawkins had to sweet-talk the proprietors.
Dylan opened these shows with an acoustic set, then unleashed the loud, electrified Hawks on his unprepared audience. Crowds didn’t embrace the full-throated roar of the Hawks but they plowed ahead, only without Helm, who decided he didn’t want to play to hostile listeners. The rest of the Hawks soldiered on with a rotating series of drummers into 1966.
Indeed, the entire group had an air of mystery: Their name was intentionally generic; their photos were not visible on the outer artwork; the group didn’t tour or do interviews. Not long after the album’s release, Aretha Franklin and Jackie DeShannon each cut their own version of “The Weight,” the first step in the song becoming a modern-day standard.
The Band reconnected with their past in another way: They sought to re-create the clubhouse atmosphere of Big Pink by renting a Malibu ranch called Shangri-La and converting it into a recording studio.
Soon, Robertson launched his solo career, hiring Daniel Lanois to co-produce his self-titled debut. Robertson next released “Storyville,” a 1991 album inspired by the sounds and legends of New Orleans.
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