Canadian musician Garth Hudson performing with rock group The Band, at Wembley Stadium, London, September 14, 1974. Photo: Getty Images
Garth Hudson was the last surviving member of The Band, the highly influential ensemble which backed Bob Dylan and inspired generations of musicians in their own right. Ontario-born Hudson, the only non-singer in The Band, was a virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician: classically trained, he drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to The Band’s rock standards. After the group broke up in 1976, its final concert filmed by Martin Scorsese in The Last Waltz, Hudson worked as a session musician for the likes of Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen, as well as briefly joining The Call. Most of The Band, including Hudson, reformed in 1983, and he continued recording and touring with both the group and with its members’ various solo projects. Hudson released his first solo album in 2001 but two years later was forced to declare bankruptcy for the third time. Despite the setback he continued to record and perform until mid 2023. Garth Hudson died on January 21 aged 87. — APL/Agencies
