The group that first came to fame backing up rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins and, later, Bob Dylan before finding stardom on its own.
A Brief Tribute by Doug Draper
Posted January 24th, 2025 on Niagara At Large
Members of The Band with Garth Hudson, second from right
They were, quite simply, right up there at the top with The Guess Who and few others, as one of the greatest rock groups ever to come out of Canada.
And with the death of Windsor, Ontario-born Garth Hudson at age 86 – the last surviving member of the group that became known around the world as ‘The Band’ – the group’s ‘Last Waltz’ (the name of the award-winning film-documentary of their farewell show together in 1076) is truly over.
The Band’s 1968 album, Music from Big Pink, ranked by Rolling Stone magazine music critics to this day among the top 40 of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Hudson, who played keyboards and a showcase full of other instruments in the group, died this January 21st. The other original group members, all of whom died before him were Rick Danko, Levon Helm (the drummer and only non-Canadian in the group), Richard Manuel and the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of such big hits as ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’, ‘Up On Cripple Creek’, ‘Chest Fever’, ‘The Shape I’m In’ and ‘The Weight’, Robbie Robertson.
Here they all are performing ‘The Weight’ at their Last Waltz show, filmed by legendary movie-maker Martin Scorsese, with the most beloved Mavis Staples and The Staple Singers sharing lead vocals with Band drummer and singer Levon Helm. Garth Hudson can be seen here sporting a beard and playing the keyboards.
To watch and listen, click on the screen immediately below and crank it up –
RIP to all five members of The Band. May your spirits live on in that ‘Big Pink’ home and recording studio in the sky.
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Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
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