Robbie Robertson, The Band Frontman, Dead At 80
Canadian musician Robbie Robertson has passed away at the age of 80.
His management announced his passing in a statement, "Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to support a new Woodland Cultural Center."
While the exact cause of death is unknown, he was reportedly battling a long illness, per Variety. Robertson was married to Janet Zuccarini at the time of his death. Before his marriage to Janet, Robertson was married to Dominque Bourgeois. They shared three children: Alexandra, Sebastian, and Delphine.
Robertson was best known for his work with The Band as lead guitarist and songwriter. He wrote several classic folk songs including "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Robertson also collaborated closely with Bob Dylan.
In addition to his work with The Band, Robertson cultivated a successful solo career in music and film. He often worked with director Martin Scorsese on film scores including "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Casino." Scorsese also directed "The Last Waltz," a documentary film about The Band's legendary final concert.
Artists and fans honor Robertson's career
After the news of Robbie Robertson's death was announced, fans and fellow artists alike honored his long and influential career via social media. Publicist Danny Deraney wrote on Twitter, "RIP Robbie Robertson one of the greatest songwriters of all time and who wrote arguably the greatest and one of the most covered songs of all time, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
"His songwriting and guitar playing made such a lasting impact on music and in fact changed the direction of music in the late 60s from psychedelic to a more roots-based approach. Huge loss," Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith wrote.
Robbie Robertson's artistic peers, including Stephen Stills and the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood, mourned the loss. Neil Diamond wrote an emotional message, saying, "Keep making that Beautiful Noise in the sky, Robbie. I'll miss you."
Roberston's frequent collaborator and close friend Martin Scorsese released a statement to NBC News, saying in part, "There's never enough time with anyone you love. And I loved Robbie." Scorsese's upcoming film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," will feature the late Robertson's music. Robertson spent the first years of his life on the Six Nations Reserve and supported Native rights.
When asked what his legacy will be made of, Robertson told Amanpour & Company in 2019: "I don't know if someone else is gonna have to figure out the legacy part. I'm just gonna try and give them something good to talk about."