Robbie Robertson dead at 80: The Band star who wrote group’s most iconic songs dies as family makes special request
GUITARIST and songwriter Robbie Robertson has died at age 80 on Wednesday.
The legendary musician was the lead guitarist for iconic rock group The Band.
His management confirmed his passing to Variety in a statement, saying he died 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 said.
“He is also survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel and Seraphina.”
Most recently, Robertson had been working on a film music project for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Instead of sending flowers, his family has asked supporters for donations to be sent to the Six Nations of the Grand River “to support a new Woodland Cultural Center.”
Robertson was born on July 5, 1973 in Toronto, Canada.
Throughout his career, the guitarist worked on a number of films, including the Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, and Gangs of New York.
Robertson was a five-time Grammy nominee and was known for writing many of The Band’s songs including The Weight, Up on Cripple Creek, Stage Fright, and The Shape I’m In.
The Band was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
He performed with The Band in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s before breaking off into a solo career in 1987, according to Deadline.
The musician also once played as Bob Dylan‘s guitarist.
Robertson was interested in music from a very young age, telling Rolling Stone in 1968, “I’ve been playing guitar for so long I can’t remember when I started.”
“I guess I got into rock and roll like everybody else,” he said.
Robertson never toured again after The Band’s final gig in 1976 titled, The Last Waltz, but did release several solo albums.
Most recently, the musician released Sinematic in 2019.
More to follow…For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at Sun Online.The-sun.com is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheUSSun.