Robbie Robertson Obituary, Founding Guitarist Of The Band Has Died

Robbie Robertson Obituary, Death – Robbie Robertson, who was the principal composer and lead guitarist for the Band, passed away on Wednesday in Los Angeles. His work presented a rustic image of America that appeared at once mythic and true, and as a result, he was instrumental in helping to inspire the genre that came to be known as Americana. Robbie Robertson was recognized for his work with the Band, which offered a mythic and authentic vision of America. His age was 80.

According to his manager, Jared Levine, he had been ill for a very long time before his away. The mysterious lyrics utilized in the songs that Mr. Robertson composed for the Band helped to conjure up images of a harsh and colorful past America. They were able to conjure a wild place, which was frequently centered in the South, and populate it with rough-hewn characters, such as the defeated Confederate soldier in “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” the tough union worker in “King Harvest Has Surely Come,” and the shady creatures in “Life Is a Carnival.” They did this with an uncommon conviction.

The Band was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1970 as a result of the sound and image that was first introduced on their debut album, “Music From Big Pink,” which was released in 1969. Additionally, that sound and image inspired a number of major artists to create their own versions of homespun amalgams, such as the Grateful Dead’s album, “Workingman’s Dead,” which was released in 1970, and Elton John’s “Tumbleweed Connection,” which was released the following year.

Eric Clapton, a fellow guitarist who played with Mr. Robertson, was moved to such an extent by the music of The Band that he advocated to join their ranks. (We thank you for the offer, but we will have to decline it.) A quarter of a century later, the music of the Band served as an important model for the bands that were initially categorized as Americana, such as Son Volt, Wilco, and Lucinda Williams, as well as for the bands that are now considered to be their aural heirs.