Garth Hudson, last surviving member of The Band, dies at 87

[Ed Nielson]

Garth Hudson, The Band's last surviving member, dead at 87

Musician Garth Hudson passed away Tuesday. The keyboardist was the last surviving member of Canadian-American rock group, The Band. Hudson was 87.

www.foxnews.com

 

[BruceNYC]

Obituary in the New York Times

 

[tbolt909]

The Band were an outstanding group of musicians. Truly unique and flawless in their execution. "Chest Fever" is just one track that showcased the keyboard skills of Hudson. These guys leave behind a catalogue of music that is rich in storytelling and top notch musicianship. "The Last Waltz" is an excellent film about the Band...

 

[Mark Roberts]

"The Last Waltz" is an excellent film about the Band...

Directed by Martin Scorsese, it was the Band's last performance together, in San Francisco. It's a great movie.

 

[tbolt909]

Directed by Martin Scorsese, it was the Band's last performance together, in San Francisco. It's a great movie.

The film was intended to document their retirement from touring. These guys had been road warriors for a long long time. They went through an early tour with Dylan when people were booing them every night. The folk purists thought Dylan had sold out. The plan was that they would continue to make records without touring, but unfortunately that kind of withered out. The Last Waltz is a must see -- Van Morrison, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and countless others joined them for that show...

 

[CTListener]

The film was intended to document their retirement from touring. These guys had been road warriors for a long long time. They went through an early tour with Dylan when people were booing them every night. The folk purists thought Dylan had sold out. The plan was that they continue to make records without touring, but unfortunately that kind of withered out. The Last Waltz is a must see -- Van Morrison, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and countless others joined them for that show...

The last album they put out before that show, Northern Lights, Southern Cross, was uneven but still had some great Band songs, most notably "Acadian Driftwood," an account of the forced French migration from Canada to Louisiana. Not all the details were correct, but it was a remarkable piece of music, performed superbly.

 

[awsherrill]

The last album they put out before that show, Northern Lights, Southern Cross, was uneven but still had some great Band songs, most notably "Acadian Driftwood," an account of the forced French migration from Canada to Louisiana. Not all the details were correct, but it was a remarkable piece of music, performed superbly.

I had that album as a teenager and just about wore out the grooves. "Acadian Driftwood" was my favorite song on it. It made me feel like a native Canadian whenever I listened to it.

Oddly enough, the last time I remember hearing that song was on the background music system, at a food court in Tucson AZ.

 

[CTListener]

I had that album as a teenager and just about wore out the grooves. "Acadian Driftwood" was my favorite song on it. It made me feel like a native Canadian whenever I listened to it.

Oddly enough, the last time I remember hearing that song was on the background music system, at a food court in Tucson AZ.

I've heard it a few times on SiriusXM's Deep Tracks channel over the years, along with occasional airings on a couple of the country channels.

 

[tbolt909]

I've heard it a few times on SiriusXM's Deep Tracks channel over the years, along with occasional airings on a couple of the country channels.

Some Canadian stations like Q107 in Toronto may still play it occasionally. I've worked at stations that used to play it.
It's a great track typical of the outstanding storytelling that Robbie Robertson was capable of...