Garth Hudson, Final Surviving Member of the Band, Dies at 87

Canadian Rock musician Garth Hudson, of the group the Band, plays accordion as he performs onstage during the summer concert series at Arrowhead Ranch, Parksville, New York, August 4, 1991
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Garth Hudson, keyboardist and instrumentalist for Canadian-American group the Band, passed away on January 21, 2025. He was 87 and the last surviving member of the influential ’60s rock band.

Born on August 2, 1937, Eric Garth Hudson was raised in London, Ontario, in a household steeped in music. His father, a multi-instrumentalist, and his mother, an accordion player, exposed him to an eclectic mix of styles from an early age. As a child, he played hymns at his uncle’s funeral parlor and later studied classical music at the Toronto Conservatory. Hudson credited his education in Bach, Chopin and Mozart with shaping his distinctive approach to the organ and other instruments.

(L-R) Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of The Band pose for a group portrait in London in June 1971

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After a year of studying music at the University of Western Ontario, he left to pursue a professional career. He played with several regional bands, including the Silhouettes and Paul London and the Kapers, before catching the attention of Ronnie Hawkins’ backup band, the Hawks. Initially hesitant to join a rock ‘n’ roll band due to his love of classical music, Hudson agreed under the condition that he be paid extra to teach the other band members music theory. His arrival cemented the lineup of what would later become the Band, alongside Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel.

Hudson’s Lowrey organ, which he customized extensively, became one of the group’s defining elements, though that wasn’t the end of his musical contributions to the Band: he also played saxophone, accordion, Clavinet, and synthesizer, among other instruments over the years.

When Bob Dylan recruited the Hawks in 1965 to back him during his controversial decision to “go electric,” Hudson became not only a performer but also a key figure in recording the legendary basement tapes at “Big Pink,” a home where several artists lived and recorded music. These informal sessions, captured on Hudson’s reel-to-reel tapes, would go on to influence generations of musicians. As the Band stepped into its own identity with 1968’s Music From Big Pink, Hudson’s musical fingerprints were everywhere. Each subsequent album showcased his ingenuity, from the Clavinet on “Up on Cripple Creek” to the soprano saxophone on “It Makes No Difference.”

Musician Garth Hudson attends the 2014 Canada's Walk Of Fame Awards at the Sony Centre on October 18, 2014 in Toronto, Canada

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After the Band’s farewell concert, The Last Waltz, in 1976, Hudson maintained a quieter public presence. He participated in the group’s later reunions and continued performing the Band’s music while also releasing solo work. In 2010, he curated A Canadian Celebration of the Band, bringing together artists like Neil Young and Bruce Cockburn to pay tribute to the group’s legacy. His contributions were recognized with inductions into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hudson’s later years were marked by his continued dedication to music, though he remained a private figure. He often shied away from the spotlight, preferring to let his work speak for itself. In one of his rare interviews, he simply shared: “It was a job. Play a stadium, play a theater. My job was to provide arrangements with pads underneath, pads and fills behind good poets. Same poems every night.” He was preceded in death by his wife, Maud Hudson, who passed away in 2022.

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