Robbie Robertson (1943–2023) was a Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and storyteller, best known as The Band’s lead guitarist and chief songwriter. His mixed Mohawk and Jewish heritage shaped his musical identity.
With The Band, he wrote timeless songs like The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, blending folk, blues, and Americana. After The Last Waltz (1976), he launched a solo career and became Martin Scorsese’s longtime film score collaborator (Raging Bull, The Irishman).
Robertson also celebrated his Indigenous roots with albums like Contact from the Underworld of Redboy (1998). Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he remains one of music’s most visionary figures.