Robbie Robertson has passed away :-(

Live, The Band sounded more unlike all others I’ve seen than any other (does that make sense? ;-). They actually changed the course of Rock ’n’ Roll, at least to a healthy number of musicians. Nick Lowe in an interview said The Brinsley Schwarz Band (of which he was bassist, singer, and songwriter) was attempting to be the English version of The Band, and utterly failing. Bernie Taupin said Tumbleweed Connection was he and Elton's attempt at making their own "brown" album. Hearing Music From Big Pink lead Clapton to disband Cream, and head to West Saugerties, waiting for The Band to ask him to join.

I’ve played the first two Band albums more than any other titles, by far. Literally thousands of times.

As I posted in the other Robertson thread, that leaves only organist Garth Hudson alive, and he was the oldest member.

Just pulled out his debut solo LP which I haven't listened to in a very long time, (shame on me!).  Man, what a album!  Forgot how much I really like it. 

That 1987 debut album was my fav for close to 2 decades. I only started listening to the Band after getting into RR solo material. My fav meeting of the minds was the movie the Color of Money. My fav director, musician, and actor.

@yyzsantabarbara: Robbie acted in one movie, Carny (1980), in which Jodie Foster and Gary Busey star. Have you seen Robbie’s autobiographical film Once Were Brothers? Very interesting, well worth your time.

Not to minimize Robertson, but Band drummer Levon Helm was in a lot more movies than was Robbie, and Helm’s last two solo albums garnered him a Grammy for each. Levon’s albums draw from his Southern U.S.A. roots (particularly Hillbilly and Blues), while Robbie went in a more modern direction for his solo albums.

By the way, to hear some of Robbie’s best guitar playing, listen to the John Hammond, Jr. album So Many Roads, on which he, Levon, and Band organist Garth Hudson appear. Mike Bloomfield had been hired to play guitar on the sessions, but when he arrived at the studio Robertson was already plugged in. After hearing Robbie play, Mike moved over to piano. ;-) Robbie also plays on Hammond’s I Can Tell album.

It was The Hawks work with Hammond that brought them to the attention of Dylan, who hired them away from John. It wasn't until Music From Big Pink was being readied for release that The Hawks became The Band. At one point in time they were known as Levon & The Hawks. I have a coupla Atco Records 7" 45's from that era, which sold poorly.

A great one- R.I.P.