The Band lead guitarist Robbie Robertson, who worked with Martin Scorsese and Bob Dylan, has died aged 80.
The musician had recently completed work on Killers of the Flower Moon, his fourteenth film music project with Scorsese. It was announced on Wednesday the Canadian guitarist-songwriter-and-singer had died in Los Angeles after a long illness.
“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,” Robertson’s long-time manager, Jared Levine, said in a statement, reported Variety.
“He is also survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel and Seraphina.
“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,” the statement added.
Robertson led the Canadian-American rockers The Band to fame in the 1970s, and wrote a series of hits for the group including The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The Weight and The Shape I’m In.
The Band’s final concert was captured on film by Scorsese in The Last Waltz, and their rise to fame was the subject of the 2019 documentary Once Were Brothers.
The Toronto-born musician worked as composer, music producer and music supervisor on movies including Raging Bull, The Color of Money, The Departed, The Irishman, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street and Gangs of New York.
During his illustrious career Robertson also worked with musical greats including Dylan.
