Friends and colleagues of The Band's Robbie Robertson got together last night (Wednesday) for a final tribute at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles, a complex where Robertson had his own room for many years.
An audience of about 200 invited guests, including Joni Mitchell, watched Jackson Browne, Jason Isbell, Citizen Cope, Angela McCluskey and Rocco DeLuca perform Robertson's songs. The 16-piece Killers Score Orchestra added a medley from what would be the last in a long series of Robertson scores for Martin Scorsese films, Killers of the Flower Moon.
Scorsese not only hosted the event, but gave what amounted to a lengthy eulogy for Robertson, sharing moments from their 45-year friendship. At one point, he spoke of Robertson's penchant for occasionally not speaking, saying, "As much as his words had eloquence, his silences had eloquence."
Also, on Wednesday in Los Angeles, Robertson was recognized at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, winning in the Score — Feature Film category for his work on Killers of the Flower Moon.
Robertson died on August 9th from prostate cancer. He was 80. His passing leaves keyboardist and sax player Garth Hudson as the only surviving member of The Band. Ironically, Hudson is also the oldest member of the group at 86. He now resides in an assisted-living facility in Upstate New York.
The Program:
- "The Weight" - sung by ensemble, including Jackson Browne, Jason Isbell, Blake Mills, Tal Wilkenfeld and Angela McCluskey
- "Caledonia Mission" - sung by Jackson Browne
- "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" - sung by Citizen Cope, backed by Mills, Wilkenfeld and Jim Keltner
- Killers of the Flower Moon Score Medley ("Osage Oil Boom," "My Land...My Land," "Heartbeat Theme / Ni-U-Kon-Sha," "Insulin Train") - performed by the Killers Score Orchestra, conducted by Mark Graham
- "Whispering Pines" - sung by Angela McCluskey
- "They Don't Live Long" from Killers of the Flower Moon - performed by Rocco DeLuca on dobro
- "Twilight" - sung by Johnny Shepherd with Rocco DeLuca