Robbie Robertson Biography
Jaime Robbie Robertson, 5 July 1943, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Robertson's professional career began in 1960 when he replaced guitarist James Evans in Ronnie Hawkins' backing group, the Hawks. Robertson's rough, but exciting style prevails on several of Hawkins' releases, including "Matchbox", "Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love", the last of which boasts an arresting solo. The group then left Hawkins and by 1964 was barnstorming tiny American venues, firstly as the Canadian Squires, then as Levon And The Hawks. They recorded a handful of singles including Robertson's "The Stones I Throw", which showed the genesis of a remarkable compositional talent. The compulsive backing the Hawks had provided on sessions by blues singer John Hammond led to their association with Bob Dylan. Their emphatic drive underscored Robertson's raging guitar work and helped complete the one-time folk singer's transformation from acoustic sage to electric guru. Robertson's songwriting blossomed during their relationship. His lyrics assumed a greater depth, suggesting a pastoral America, while the music of the group, now dubbed simply the Band, drew its inspiration from a generation of rural styles, both black and white, as well as contemporary soul music peers. Such skill resulted in a body of work that, by invoking the past, created something familiar, yet original. The Band broke up in 1976 following a farewell concert at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom. The event was captured in the celebratory film The Last Waltz, directed by Martin Scorsese, which in turn inspired Roberston's cinematic ambitions. Carny, which he also produced, provided his only starring role to date, although he maintained a working relationship with Scorsese by scoring several of his movies, including Raging Bull (1980) and The Color Of Money (1986). A 1983 collaboration, King Of Comedy, was notable for Robertson's solo track, "Between Trains". This understated performance was the prelude to the artist's "comeback" album. Robbie Robertson, released in 1987, was an exceptional collection and offered a full, state-of-the-art production, and notable guest contributions by U2, Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois and the late Gil Evans, as well as his former Band colleagues Rick Danko and Garth Hudson. Such appearances enhanced a work that compared favourably with Robertson's previous recordings and included two exceptional compositions in "Fallen Angel" (a tribute to Robertson's late Band colleague Richard Manuel) and "Broken Arrow". The artist also enjoyed a surprise UK Top 20 hit with the atmospheric "Somewhere Down The Crazy River". This artistic rebirth boded well for the 90s, although Storyville was a disappointing album for those expecting a repeat of his solo debut. Robertson was not part of the re-formation of the Band in 1993. His most interesting project to date (although uncommercial) was in 1994 with the Red Road Ensemble, a group of native Americans. Robertson is passionate about their continuing plight and much of his time in the mid-90s was spent working on their behalf. In 1995, he collaborated with Scorsese again on the soundtrack for Casino. Robertson's next studio album, Contact From The Underworld Of Redboy, was a bold fusion of native American tribal chants and contemporary dance beats, with featured collaborators including Howie B., Marcus De Vries, Rita Coolidge and Leonard Peltier, a political prisoner whose vocal contribution to the track "Sacrifice" was recorded in prison. Robertson also achieved a surprise hit in gay clubs with the Howie B. track "Take Your Partner By The Hand". He joined DreamWorks Records in the capacity of A&R director in 1998.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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