1967-1977, 1983-1999Robbie RobertsonGuitar1967-1977
Levon HelmDrums, vocals
Richard ManuelPiano, vocals1967-1977, 1983-1986
Rick DankoBass, vocals
Garth HudsonOrgan
The Band were known for their three-part harmonies with Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko.
They were playing clubs as The Hawks when
Bob Dylan asked them to be his backup band on his first electric tour. They were often booed by audiences who felt Dylan had sold out his folk fans.
Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson were Canadian; Levon Helm was American, from Arkansas. Robertson was born in Toronto to a Jewish father and a mother of Mohawk descent.
After touring with The Band in 1966, Bob Dylan was sidelined in a motorcycle accident. Looking for a place to live and work while Dylan recovered, The Band rented a big, pink house in upstate New York (West Saugerties), where they recorded demos that became known as The Basement Tapes. Their 1968 debut album, Music From Big Pink, was named after the house.
Robertson did a stint as a "creative executive" at DreamWorks Records.
Their second album, The Band, was recorded at Sammy Davis Jr.'s house, which they had rented.
They became known as "The Band" when they were living in Big Pink and locals recognized them as members of Dylan's backing band. When folks would spot one of them, they would remark that he was in "the band." That's the name they went with when they made a record.
The Woodstock festival was a bad experience for The Band, who were the only local act - they lived nearby and had to contend with tourists for the next few years. They played the last night of the festival and left right after their set.
Songwriting credits and royalty payments were a contentious issue for The Band. Robertson was listed as the composer on most of the songs, but Levon Helm and other members claimed they contributed to many of the songs but weren't properly credited.
They played the Watkins Glen Festival on July 28, 1973 along with The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead. With over 600,000 people, it was the largest US concert ever.
The Band re-formed in 1983 without Robbie Robertson, but when they first broke up, they went out in style with a farewell concert on November 24, 1976 at Winterland in San Francisco. In 1978, the movie The Last Waltz, about this concert, was released. November 24 was the same day Eric Clapton had played Cream's farewell concert in 1968. It was partially because of The Band's music that Clapton decided to leave Cream.
Elton John released his song "
Levon" in 1971 when the group was really popular, but according to Elton's lyricist, Bernie Taupin, it was not named after Levon Helm.
They are a huge influence on Eric Clapton, who was in Cream when Music From Big Pink came out. Clapton formed Blind Faith with the idea of making music with more direction and fewer extended solos, which were the trademark of Cream. The Band played on his albums No Reason To Cry (1976) and August (1986).
Regarding their split, Robertson said (in Q magazine): "I was responsible for the break up of The Band. But did I do it on a whim? I don't think so! Drugs and alcohol were the real destruction of The Band – but that's always underplayed."
When they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, only three members were there. Levon Helm chose not to attend and Richard Manuel had died. When they played, Eric Clapton joined them to fill in the sound.
In 1970, these guys became the first Canadian band to appear on the cover of Time magazine. They were heralded as "The first to match the excellence of the Beatles."
Levon Helm did some acting. He played Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter and appeared in The Right Stuff.
Levon Helm and Garth Hudson played drums and Hammond organ on Norah Jones' song "What Am I To You."
Plagued by drug and alcohol problems, Richard Manual hanged himself after a show in a Winter Park, Florida motel room on March 4, 1986. He was 42.
Levon Helm was honored in Woodstock, New York, as the town saluted him by making May 20, 2006 "Levon Helm Day." He had lived there since the '60s.
Beginning in 2004, Levon Helm hosted Midnight Rambles at his Woodstock, New York barn and recording studio. The concerts brought in frequent guests, including Elvis Costello and Donald Fagen.
Robertson and the director Martin Scorsese became good friends after Scorsese directed The Last Waltz. Robertson often worked on the music for Scorsese's films; he contributed songs or worked as a music consultant on The Departed, Gangs Of New York, Raging Bull, The Color Of Money and Shutter Island.
