Garth Hudson, Virtuoso Multi-Instrumentalist and Last Surviving Member of The Band, Dies at 87

Jan 21, 2025, 04:33 PM

Garth Hudson, the last surviving founding member of The Band, died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 87 in Woodstock, New York. Born on August 2, 1937, in Windsor, Ontario, Hudson was renowned as one of the most inventive keyboardists in rock history, known for his virtuosity on the organ and a multitude of other instruments. His longtime friend and colleague Jan Haust confirmed his death, noting that "yesterday was a day of music and hand-holding." Keyboard magazine once wrote of Hudson, "He spun his intricate musical webs so deeply into the fabric of each song that it was almost impossible to separately identify the keyboard parts at all." Hudson's intricate musical contributions were integral to shaping the roots-rock sound of the Canadian-American group, influential in the 1960s and 1970s.