R.I.P. Garth Hudson of The Band


Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of The Band, has died. The multi-instrumentalist, who played piano, keyboards, accordion and saxophone, died in his sleep at a nursing home in Woodstock, New York this morning, a representative confirmed to the Toronto Star. Hudson was 87.
A native of Windsor, Ontario, Hudson joined Ronnie Hawkins’ band The Hawks in 1961, along with Levon Helm. The Hawks were the precursor to The Band, and Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko also joined the band and in 1965 they backed Bob Dylan on tour. In 1968, they released their debut album as The Band, Music from Big Pink, followed by their self-titled album in 1969.
The group released four more albums before splitting up, playing their final show on Thanksgiving of 1976, which was documented in the film The Last Waltz, as well as the live album of the same name.
Hudson worked as a session musician after The Band split up, working with artists such as Emmylou Harris, Leonard Cohen and Van Morrison. He also released a handful of solo records, The Sea To the North in 2001 and Music for Our Lady Queen of the Angels in 2005, but which was originally composed in 1980 for the Los Angeles bicentennial. He also released Angels Serenade in 2009 as part of Helm, Hudson & McCoy, along with his former bandmate Levon Helm and blues musician Tommy McCoy.
The Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.