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.
Born and raised in London, , 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.
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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 , Europe, and .
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 in February 2020.
"We weren't trendy, because we didn't know what the trend was - and didn't want to.
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.
"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.
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"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."