It feels like the sad end of a truly remarkable era in music. Keyboardist Garth Hudson of The Band has passed away at the age of 87, per the New York Post. According to the outlet, "Hudson 'passed away peacefully in his sleep' on Tuesday morning at a nursing home in Woodstock, New York, his estate executor confirmed to the Toronto Star."
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He seemed to approach his work rather matter-of-factly. Hudson said per the Post via Variety, "It was a job. Play a stadium, play a theater. My job was to provide arrangements with pads underneath, pads and fills behind good poets. Same poems every night."
He did three albums on his own in 1980, 2001, and 2005.
Hudson also played the sax, organ, and the accordion for the acclaimed musical group. He was one of its original members, who included Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, and Levon Helm. Each one predeceased Hudson. According to the Post, "Manuel died by suicide at age 42 in 1986. Danko passed away at age 55 in 1999. Helm died at age 71 in 2012. And Robertson died at age 80 in 2023."
Legends every one.
The Band First Got Together Back In The Late 1950s
They Decided To Start The Band In Toronto And Later Connected With Bob Dylan
Per the outlet, They "gained recognition in the 1960s for their work with Bob Dylan. They broke up in 1977 but then reunited in 1983 without Robertson. The group stayed together until 1999 upon Danko's death."
Their Musical Output Was Prodigious
The Band Released A Slew Of Memorable Albums Of All Types
The group released a total of 28 albums, an amazing feat. Nine of them were live albums, plus ten studio albums, and nine more were compilation discs. The Band's other notable industry achievements included their 1989 induction into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall OF Fame five years later in 1994.
Martin Scorsese directed a well-known film about them in 1978 called The Last Waltz.
They were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2008.
The Band's Hit Songs Are Their Enduring Legacy
You'll Certainly Recall Them
Among their most popular tunes are "It Makes No Difference," "The Weight," "Up On Cripple Creek," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
Robbie Robertson Praised Garth Hudson
He Wrote About Hudson In A 2016 Book
Robbie Robertson explained in his book via the Post, "He played brilliantly, in a more complex way than anybody we had ever jammed with. Most of us had just picked up our instruments as kids and plowed ahead, but Garth was classically trained and could find musical avenues on the keyboard we didn't know existed. It impressed us deeply."
