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.
He went from being a member of Ronnie Hawkins’ backup band, The Hawks, to a founding member of The Band, to The Last Waltz, a feature-length documentary of the final tour, which was produced by Martin Scorsese – beginning a long-lasting association with the director.
Robertson scored the soundtracks for Carney (in which he also starred) and composed the score for Raging Bull and Gangs of New York. His first self-titled solo album was released in 1987, and Storyville, his second solo album, followed in 1991. 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.
In 1997, Robertson received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters.
