The Band’s Garth Hudson Dies at 87

Garth Hudsonwho played the Lowrey, synthesizers, accordion, and woodwinds The bandHe died in his sleep this morning (January 21). Toronto Star Reports. A Hudson estate trustee confirmed the news to The star. Hudson was 87 years old.

Eric “Garth” Hudson was born to musician parents in Windsor, Ontario, before the family moved to London, Ontario, and enrolled him in formal piano training and theory from a young age. In his early twenties, to the dismay of his parents, he joined Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm in a rock band called The Hawks, placating his parents by stipulating that the group pay him an extra $10 a week for music lessons. He was the latest addition to the lineup, joining fellow Canadians Robbie RobertsonRich Manuel and Rick Danko, plus the soon-to-depart Helm and Hawkins; Hudson would become the last surviving member of the band.

Impressed by their lively energy, Bob Dylan He hired the Hawks in 1965 to be his backing band. They played on his 1966 Electric Tour developing material for Blonde on blonde And sprawling Basement bars. The group, including Dylan, released their first album as a band in 1968, Music from Big Pink. The record included “The Weight”, now a classic, as well as the band’s versions of Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” and the murder ballad “Long Black Veil”.

The band released its famous songs Self-titled album in 1969, and the 1970s quickly followed stage fright1971 cooperationa 1973 covers album Moondog matineeand 1975 Northern Lights – Southern Cross. Hudson helped stain the edges of her rocky roots by adding antlers to them Northern lights “Ophelia” and applied unconventional techniques at the time such as the use of a wah pedal on their album titled “Up on Cripple Creek”. In concert, his calling card was an improvisation called “The Genetic Method,” which preceded the classic “Chest Fever” led by organ Laurie.

The band’s farewell concert, in San Francisco, in 1976, was the basis for a Martin Scorsese film. The last waltzis considered one of the greatest concert films of all time. carrotthe classic group’s final album, followed in 1977. Hudson continued to participate in numerous iterations and partial reunions, performing on all three of the band’s subsequent albums and collaborating with Helm, Robertson and Danko outside the group.

A series of financial difficulties led to him declaring bankruptcy on three occasions, for which Robertson placed some blame. According to Helm and Danko, Robertson often gave himself sole credit for collaborative songwriting and claimed full copyright. Hafez Helm – even His deathfrom throat cancer, in 2012 – that Robertson’s financial manipulation contributed to Manuel’s injury death By committing suicide in 1986 and the health problems that led to Danko’s injury death In 1999.