Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, has died aged 80.

Robertson was behind such classics as The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek, and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.

He died surrounded by his household, a press release from his supervisor mentioned.

The Band initially served as Bob Dylan's backing group - earlier than changing into extremely influential within the Nineteen Sixties and 70s. They performed at Woodstock in 1969.

Besides Robertson, who was born in Canada, the group featured drummer-singer Mark "Levon" Helm and bassist-singer-songwriter Rick Danko, keyboardist singer-songwriter Richard Manuel and all-around musical wizard Garth Hudson.

The Band are nonetheless outlined by their first two albums, Music From Big Pink and the self-titled The Band, each launched within the late Nineteen Sixties.

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Robertson additionally ceaselessly collaborated with Martin Scorsese, together with on the director's newest film Killers Of The Flower Moon.

The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Content Source: information.sky.com