Robbie Robertson, leader of rock group The Band, dies at 80

Robbie Robertson, the leader of the Canadian-American rock group The Band, has died at the age of 80. In a statement, his longtime manager Jared Levine shared that Robertson, who left his Toronto home at age 16 to pursue his rock’n’roll dreams, died on August 9 in Los Angeles after a long illness.

‘Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death,’ the statement added.

Robbie Robertson, the guitarist and main songwriter in The Band, was known for songs including “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”

The Band included four Canadians – Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Richard Manuel – and was anchored by an Arkansas drummer, Levon Helm.

Originally dubbed The Hawks, they gained attention supporting Bob Dylan on his “Going Electric” tours of 1965-1966.

After changing their name to The Band and rebasing in Woodstock, New York, they became one of the most respected groups in rock.

After The Band’s breakup, Robbie Robertson created soundtracks for Scorsese films, including ‘Raging Bull’. He made his acting debut in 1980 with the film ‘Carny’, starring Jodie Foster. He also released several solo albums.

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