ROBBIE ROBERTSON

2003 INDUCTEE

Robbie Robertson is one rock's most influential and legendary figures.

From his early days in Toronto with Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks; through tours with Bob Dylan and life on the road with The Band; to his solo albums and scores for Hollywood movies, Robertson has been at the epicentre of the music scene since the late 1950s.

The son of a Mohawk mother and Jewish father, Robertson grew up in Toronto and spent summers on the Six Nations Reservation outside Brantford, Ontario. He was learning guitar by the age of six, and in his teens he was active in various local bands such as Little Caesar & The Consoles.

Robertson hooked up with rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins and became a member of The Hawks. His bluesy rock guitar style helped define their distinctive sound.

When Bob Dylan `went electric' during his 1965-66 world tour, Robertson was in the backup group. Other members of The Hawks joined the tour, forming the unit that would eventually be known as The Band.

Music From Big Pink, The Band's first release, was issued in 1968. A year later, The Band performed at Woodstock. A string of albums followed, all of them hugely successful as well as ground-breaking. The Band continued to play live performances until 1976. The Last Waltz – a feature-length documentary of the final tour – was produced by Martin ScWaltzorsese.

Robertson began an extended association with Scorsese. He scored the soundtracks for 1979's Carney (in which he also starred) and composed the score for Raging Bull (1980). Other Scorsese collaborations included King of Comedy (1983) and The Color of Money (1986).

Robertson's first self-titled solo album was produced by Canadian Daniel Lanois and released in 1987. Storyville, his second solo album, followed in 1991.

Returning to his roots, Robertson produced Music For The Native Americans, and was featured in Robbie Robertson: Making A Noise, a PBS special that explored the Native American musical heartland.

Most recently, he served as music supervisor on Scorsese's Gangs Of New York.

Today, Robertson is a creative executive at DreamWorks Records where he develops new musical talent, including Canadian artist Nelly Furtado.

Robbie Roberston has won numerous Juno Awards, and as a member of The Band has been inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame. In 1997, he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters.