The Band's Robbie Robertson: farewell to a Canadian music legend

Robbie Robertson was born 'Jamie Royal Robertson' on July 5th, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He died at his family home in Los Angeles, California surrounded by his family. He had been battling prostate cancer for the past year.

Robertson grew up in Toronto with his parents Rosemarie and James Robertson. His parents separated when he was a teenager, and his mother later disclosed that his biological father was Alexander David Klegerman. Klegerman was of Jewish heritage and died in a hit-and-run accident before Robertson was born.

In his teenage years, he spent some time working with travelling carnivals. He began playing live music with a few of his own bands and eventually made connections in the live music scene. From 1958 to 1963 he played in the band 'the Hawks' which backed rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins.

With Robbie Robertson on lead guitar, the band toured with Bob Dylan between 1965-1966 and contributed to Dylan's departure from acoustic folk to a heavier electric sound. The change from Dylan's traditional style was not always appreciated by members of the audience.

Following their tour with Dylan in the mid 1960s, 'The Hawks' changed their name to 'The Band.' The band included musicians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Robbie Robertson.

Some of the songs from the album 'Music From Big Pink' were composed at the home with the pink exterior shared by three of the band members in West Saugerties, New York. The song 'The Weight' was written by Robbie Robertson for the album and it is lauded for its importance in rock and roll history. The song was also featured in the film 'Easy Rider.'

Over their years together, the band experienced conflict between its members related to songwriting and the vision for the band. Alcohol and drug abuse were problematic for some band members and made them less reliable. Robertson encouraged the band to retire from touring in the mid 1970s.

The concert was called 'The Last Waltz' and was held at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. 'The Band' performed alongside many other famous musicians including Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. The event was made into a concert-film documentary by Robertson's good friend, director Martin Scorsese.

Robertson married Canadian journalist Dominique Bourgeois in 1968. The pair divorced in the mid 1970s. The couple shared three children together: Alexandra, Delphine, and Sebastian (shown here).

Robertson's spouse, Janet Zuccarini, is a successful Canadian entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group. She and Robertson became engaged in 2022.

While perhaps best known for his work with 'The Band,' Robbie Robertson's talent extended to acting, music composition, and film soundtrack production. He has collaborated with his friend Martin Scorsese on several projects including 'Raging Bull,' 'The Departed,' and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' among others.

Robertson had only intended to work on production of the film but ended up sharing the screen and some suggestive scenes in the 1980 film about travelling carnival workers.

Robertson released his first solo album, entitled 'Robbie Robertson,' in 1987. The album was well received and the single 'Somewhere Down the Crazy River' was a great success. Robertson produced a music video for the single which was directed by Martin Scorsese.

In 1994, Robertson formed 'The Red Road Ensemble' with a group of Native Americans to create the recording and documentary, 'Music for the Native Americans.' The music compositions reflect Robertson's connection to his family and history. He received a Juno award for Producer of the Year for the project.

Robbie Robertson collaborated on the 2013 book, 'Legends, Icons and Rebels: Music That Changed the World,' with his son Sebastian, Jim Guerinot, and Jared Levine. His second book, 'Hiawatha and the Peacemaker,' was written for a younger audience and published in 2015. Robertson penned his autobiography, 'Testimony,' over 5 years and it was released in 2016. The book was a commercial success and was featured on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Robbie Robertson, was a gifted songwriter and pioneer in the music industry with a career spanning decades. Despite his increasing age and health challenges, Robertson completed the film score for 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' his last collaboration with Martin Scorsese. The film premiered on May 20th, 2023 at the 76th Canes Film Festival to critical acclaim.