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It’s a sad day for music lovers, as the icon of rock and roll has passed away.
Garth Hudson – a founding member of legendary rock group The Band – has died at the age of 87.
A multi-instrumentalist who played keyboards, saxophone and accordion on many iconic albums, Hudson’s contributions can be heard on some of the most beloved songs of the 1960s and ’70s.
cause of death of garth hudson
News of his passing came courtesy of Jan Hoss, the executor of his estate, who spoke to toronto star (via Guardian,
Hudson died quietly in a nursing home in Woodstock, New York.
Hoss did not release a cause of death.
a huge inheritance
It is difficult to overestimate the band’s influence on generations of musicians.
While they were still known as the Hawks, members Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm saw Hudson perform and convinced him to join the group. (Hudson intended to become a music teacher.)
The young musicians began to cement their place in rock history when they were hired as Bob Dylan’s backing band.
The band helped Dylan define a new phase in his career in the mid-60s as he left behind the folk acoustic sound of his early albums in favor of electrified rock. (This process was recently depicted in the Dylan biopic a complete unknown,
In 1968, The Band came into existence with their first album music from big pink,
It includes iconic tracks such as “The Weight” and “I Shall Be Released”. big pink received rave reviews and impressive sales. In 2004 it gained a position rolling stoneList of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
In 1976, the band performed a farewell concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom.
The show became the basis for the iconic Martin Scorsese-directed documentary The Last WaltzWhich is considered by many to be the greatest concert film of all time.
The band reformed in the 1980s and continued to release new music until 1998.
Through it all, Garth Hudson’s unique organ lines added a signature element that was somehow both traditional and frighteningly psychedelic.
He was predeceased by bandmates Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Ronnie Hawkins and Richard Manuel.
Our thoughts are with Hudson’s loved ones during this difficult time.