Garth Hudson

A multi-instrumentalist, Garth Hudson brought his musical eclecticism to The Band. Born in Windsor, Ontario, on August 2, 1937, he learned to play music with his family, quickly mastering keyboards, accordion and saxophone. When the Hudsons moved to London, Ontario, he played in The Silhouettes between 1956 and 1960, before being approached after a gig by Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm, to join The Hawks, alongside Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel. Accompanying Hawkins, the musicians emancipated themselves in 1963, and two years later crossed paths with Bob Dylan, for whom they were to provide musical support during his electric period, until Dylan's motorcycle accident in July 1966. The Band continued to play at the West Saugerties community house near Woodstock, before signing with Capitol to record their debut album Music from Big Pink (1968). A flourishing career began for the band, in which Hudson played piano, Lowrey organ, accordion, saxophone and other wind instruments, right up to the farewell concert immortalized in Martin Scorsese's film The Last Waltz (1978). After becoming a studio musician for Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen, he composed the music for Our Lady Queen of the Angels in 1980, and accompanied the rock band The Call and Roger Waters at The Wall concert in Berlin in 1990. After reuniting with The Band, he produced the astonishing jazz fusion album The Sea to the North (2001) and joined Burrito Deluxe, featuring former members of The Flying Burrito Brothers, then performed with his wife Maud Hudson, as witnessed by Live at the Wolf (2005). After her death, he resumed the sessions, and in 2010 organized the recording of Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of The Band, featuring Neil Young. He made one last appearance on stage in April 2023, before his death on January 21, 2025, at the age of 87.

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