Thanks everyone for joining me in celebrating this most unusual and amazing group of writers, singers, and players. I added the joke about Robbie against my better judgment; the subject of his actions is a matter of great contention, and if it weren’t for the fact that they played a major role in the contributing to The Band’s downward spiral (both professionally and personally) I could let it go. I won’t go into it here, but one ends up taking either Levon’s side of the story, or Robbie’s.
I haven’t read Robbie’s book, but I have a copy of Levon’s, autographed by he on the day of it’s release at the book release event held at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. Ringo was there too, and got his copy autographed as well. In response to the claims made by Levon, John Simon (producer of the first two albums, and writer of the horn arrangements for The Last Waltz), and others, Robbie made this statement: "I did what I had to do." ’Bout says it all, don’t it?