Robbie Robertson, who wrote, and recorded with The Band, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” has passed away at 80, his manager said.
The prolific Robertson, a Canadian, is credited with helping to usher in the Americana genre. In addition to the classic “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” Robertson also wrote “The Weight” and “Up On Cripple Creek,” among other songs.
The beloved lead guitarist for The Band also collaborated with filmmaker Martin Scorsese often, starting with “The Last Waltz,” The Band’s farewell concert documentary, released in 1978. The collaboration continued with films including “Casino,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Irishman” and the upcoming “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Robertson’s manager, Jared Levine, issued a statement:
“Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her partner Nicholas, and his children Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine, and Delphine’s partner Kenny. He is also survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel and Seraphina.
“Robertson recently completed his fourteenth film music project with frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to support a new Woodland Cultural Center.”