Guitarist and songwriting icon Robbie Robertson has died surrounded by his family aged 80 years. He wrote many of The Band's biggest songs in the 1960s and 1970s, played alongside Bob Dylan and starred in a Scorsese movie. He's best known for his enduring songs including The Weight, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Up On Cripple Creek. Robertson, who left his Toronto home at 16 to pursue his rock'n'roll dreams, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a long illness. The Band of Canadian rockers included Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel with Arkansas drummer, Levon Helm. They had a unique chemistry. Known for their vocal harmonies, they had three excellent singers in Helm, bassist Danko and pianist Manuel. Organist and multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson was also crucial. "They were the goods," Robertson wrote of his four band mates in his 2016 autobiography, Testimony. "This band was a real band. No slack in the high wire here. Everybody held up his end with plenty to spare." Robertson became infatuated with the guitar early on and gained a reputation as a hot shot during their time as the backing band for rockabilly wild man Ronnie Hawkins. They gained attention supporting Bob Dylan on his Going Electric tours of 1965-1966 and became one of the most respected groups in rock. IN OTHER NEWS: Their 1976 farewell concert in San Francisco was the basis of Martin Scorsese's 1978 movie "The Last Waltz." Rolling Stone magazine ranked Robertson No. 59 on its 2015 list of 100 Greatest Guitarists. "The impact of The Band's first album can't be exaggerated," critic Greil Marcus wrote in 2000, referring to their 1968 debut album, "Music from Big Pink." In February 2022, Variety reported, citing sources, that Robertson sold his music publishing catalogue to a firm called Iconoclast for about $US25 million ($A38 million). After all the highs and lows, Robertson looked back at his Band mates with love and affection. "Through all the turbulence, I am left with such a deep appreciation for my journey," he wrote in his autobiography. "This shining path I've travelled being part of the Band - there will never be another like it. Such a gift, such talent, such pain, such madness ... I wouldn't trade it for anything." Neil Diamond paid tribute to Robertson who produced his album Beautiful Noise. Diamond wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "The music world lost a great one with the passing of Robbie Robertson. Keep making that Beautiful Noise in the sky, Robbie. I'll miss you." Hollywood director Martin Scorsese said in a statement: "Long before we ever met, his music played a central role in my life - me and millions and millions of other people all over this world". "The Band's music, and Robbie's own later solo music, seemed to come from the deepest place at the heart of this continent, its traditions and tragedies and joys." "It goes without saying that he was a giant, that his effect on the art form was profound and lasting. There's never enough time with anyone you love. And I loved Robbie." Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones shared images from the rock documentary The Last Waltz, which featured Robertson and was about a concert billed as The Band's "farewell" gig. Wood wrote: "Such sad news about Robbie Robertson - he was a lovely man, a great friend and will be dearly missed xx R." With Australian Associated Press
