Garth Hudson dead at age 87 as last living member of The Band dies after incredible career playing with music legends
ROCK icon Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of the group The Band, has died at age 87.
Hudson, an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, died in his sleep at a nursing home in Woodstock in Ulster County, New York, on Tuesday.
Hudson’s estate executor confirmed his death to the Toronto Star.
Born and raised in London, Ontario, Hudson was recruited by rock legend Ronnie Hawkins to join his band, The Hawks.
At 24 years old, Hudson joined Hawkins’ band composed of drummer Levon Helm, guitarist Robbie Robertson, bass player Rick Banko, and vocalist and keyboardist Richard Manuel.
Despite the group’s early success under Hawkins’ leadership, they split and began their own band in 1963.
The group rebranded into The Band in 1964 and featured the same bandmates.
In 1965, The Band were introduced to legend Bob Dylan, who fancied the group, leading to the recording of their joint single Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window.
Dylan recruited them to accompany him on his 1966 Electric tour throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia.
The Band gained recognition and by 1968 released their debut album, Music From Big Pink.
“We were so locked in, in a musicality, and in a personal way, that we invented something that had a big effect on the course of music,” Robertson told Yahoo Entertainment in February 2020.
“We weren’t trendy, because we didn’t know what the trend was – and didn’t want to.
“We were going into our own world, our own dimension, and discovering a musicality, a sound, everything.”
Robertson died in August 2023 at age 80.
The Band continued their chart topping success with the release of their self-titled album and The Basement Tapes in 1967.
However, by the mid-1970s, Robertson urged the group to retire from live performances following a series of setbacks, including the failed success of their album Northern Lights – Southern Cross, and a boating accident to keyboardist Manuel.
In November 1976, The Band took the stage at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco for their farewell concert known as The Last Waltz.
The star-studded concert featured appearances by rock legends Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and Neil Diamond, among others.
The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2004 was named among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
‘MUSICAL PHENOMENON’
Fans flooded social media with tributes to Hudson and The Band as a whole.
“RIP Garth Hudson. The greatest organist in rock history? The greatest organist in rock history,” one admirer wrote.
“Hard to believe that there are no longer any living members of The Band. Gonna go stare into space for a while.”
A second said, “We’ve lost one of the greatest and most underrated musicians of the 20th century. The last of The Band, the last of an era. Rest in peace Garth Hudson, you musical phenomenon.”
The Band’s official X page called Hudson a “musical genius and a cornerstone of the group’s timeless sound.”
“Today, we sadly say goodbye to Garth “Honey Boy” Hudson, the last living original member of The Band,” the group’s official page said.
“A musical genius and cornerstone of the group’s timeless sound, Garth once said, ‘I found some true enjoyment in helping people get to the bottom of their feelings.’
“Through his music, he did just that—helping us all feel more deeply and connect to something greater. Rest easy, Garth.”