Robbie Robertson's life across songs and also film By Christy Cooney Information Robbie Robertson, guitarist and also songwriter for Canadian-American group The Band, has actually passed away aged 80.

A statement from his supervisor claimed he passed away on Wednesday surrounded by his family members after a long disease.

The Band were an influential act in the late 1960s and likewise the subjects of The Last Waltz, a 1978 Martin Scorsese film about their farewell concert.

Robertson composed some of their best-known tracks, including The Weight and The Evening They Drove Old Dixie Down.

Born Jaime Royal Robertson in Toronto in 1943, he left home to go after a career in music aged 16.

As their own songs, The Band were understood for a spell touring as Bob Dylan'' s backing band before the success of their 1968 launching cd, Music From Big Pink.

They released a string of acclaimed albums throughout the 1970s as well as, after playing their last show as a complete band in 1976, rejoined without Robertson for a number of trips and also studio releases throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Along with keyboardist Garth Hudson, Robertson was one of two surviving members of The Band'' s traditional line-up.

After The Last Waltz, he worked together with Scorsese on the soundtracks to some of the director'' s best-known movies, including 1980 classic Raging Bull as well as 2019'' s The Irishman.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage subtitle, Robertson carrying out with The Band at the Royal Albert Hall in London, June 1971 Paying homage, Scorsese called Robertson a "huge" and "a constant in my life and also job. "

" Long prior to we ever fulfilled, his songs played a main function in my life - me and millions and millions of other people throughout this world," he stated. "His effect on the art type was extensive and also lasting. "

Pay Attention: Robbie Robertson on life in The Band, The Last Waltz as well as Bob Dylan Composing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood claimed: "Such depressing information about Robbie Robertson - he was a lovely man, a wonderful pal and will be very much missed out on. "