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1943·
Jaime Robbie Robertson born in Toronto, Canada, July 5. Father from Toronto;
mother, of Mohawk descent, born and raised on the Six Nations Reservation.
1954-57·
Begins learning guitar from relatives while visiting the reservation during
summer months.
1958-59·
Active around Toronto in various teenage groups, including Little Caesar
& The Consuls, Robbie & The Robots, and Thumper & The Trambones.
1960·
Singer Ronnie Hawkins records two early Robertson songs ("Hey Boba
Lu" and "Someone Like You") on his Mr. Dynamo LP. Robertson
then takes over lead guitar with The Hawks at the age of 16.
1961-64·
Hawkins and The Hawks (which also includes Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard
Manuel, and Garth Hudson) tour clubs in the U.S. and Canada, and also
as part of packaged shows that include acts such as Chuck Berry, Carl
Perkins, and Jackie Wilson. Robertson's unique guitar style on the songs
"Who Do You Love" and "Come Love," on albums such
as Best of Ronnie Hawkins and Mojo Man, ushers in an era of classic bluesy
rock that significantly influences many musicians.
1964·
On their own, The Hawks -- under the name The Canadian Squires -- release
the single "Uh-Uh-Uh" backed with "Leave Me Alone "
on the New York-based Ware label. The tracks are produced by R&B pioneer
Henry Glover. Although The Hawks never changed their name during this
period, historians speculate that label executives felt the group should
establish their own reputation and distance themselves from being known
as "Ronnie Hawkins' backup band," thus dubbing them The Canadian
Squires.
1965·
The Hawks move to the Apex label, which picks up and releases -- again
under The Canadian Squires -- the "Uh-Uh-Uh"/ "Leave Me
Alone" single.
1968·
ATCO releases "Lisa Jane" b/w "He Don't Love You"
(recorded three years in earlier during the Glover/Ramone sessions).
The Hawks
become The Band and sign with Capitol Records. Their debut LP, Music From
Big Pink, is released late summer. The album features now classic tunes
by Robertson (including "The Weight," "Caledonia Mission"
and "Chest Fever") as well as the first official version of
Dylan's "I Shall Be Released." In addition to critical acclaim,
the album was revered by some of the biggest names in rock, including
The Beatles, Eric Clapton, and The Rolling Stones.
Due
to their tremendous influence on the direction of rock music, The Band
becomes the first North American rock group to appear on the cover of
Time magazine. Their roots-rock influence has continued to resonate with
musicians ever since.
1970·71
The Band tours the U.S. and Europe. In Canada, Robertson then produces
singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester's eponymously titled debut album. Next
comes The Band's Stage Fright album, released in the summer, which hits
#5 on the charts and goes gold. The title track and "The hape I'm
In" are among the standout Robertson songs. Cahoots,
featuring "Life Is A Carnival," is released. The Band sets off
on another U.S. tour, concluding with a New York City concert on New Year's
Eve, which is recorded. Joan
Baez's cover of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" peaks
at #3 on Billboard's pop charts and hits #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary
charts.
1972·
Released in August, the New Year's Eve show becomes the double-album Rock
of Ages and achieves gold status. Among its noteworthy cuts are the previously
unreleased Robertson original "Get Up, Jake" and a cover of
the R&B number "Baby, Don't Do It." The Dylan recut of Pennebaker's
1966 documentary is finally released as Eat the Document.
1973·74
In July, The Band appears before an estimated 650,000 people (the largest
rock concert audience in history) at the Watkins Glen Festival in upstate
New York, sharing the bill with The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead.
In December, Moondog Matinee, recreating the group's early club act featuring
classic R&B and rock, is released. The
Band appears as the backup group on Dylan's Planet Waves. Dylan and The
Band cross the U.S. in a much heralded reunion tour. Before The Flood
contains both Dylan and Band songs recorded live.
1976·
Northern Lights - Southern Cross, The Band's first album of new songs
in four years, includes new Robertson gems such as "Ophelia,"
"It Makes No Difference" and "Acadian Driftwood."
R obertson produces Neil Diamond's Beautiful Noise. Robertson also produces
the debut album from Hirth Martinez, Hirth From Earth. The
Band performs a record-setting four songs on Saturday Night Live.
After 16
years together, The Band says farewell to live performing with the gala
Last Waltz concert on Thanksgiving night. Held at the Winterland, such
guest stars as Dylan, Hawkins, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison,
Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and others participate. Capitol releases The
Best Of The Band.
1977·
Islands, the final Band studio album with Robertson, is released, featuring
tracks such as "Knockin' Lost John," Robertson's first lead
vocal since "To Kingdom Come" on Music From Big Pink.
Robertson
also produces Diamond's Love At The Greek live album.
1978·
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the concert film of The Last Waltz is released
to strong critical and box office response. The three-LP soundtrack also
encompasses new studio tracks called "The Last Waltz Suite,"
which includes "Out Of The Blue," written and sung by Robertson.
Another Band greatest hits album, Anthology, Vol. I, is released.
1979·80
Robertson co-stars with Gary Busey and Jodie Foster in Carny. He also
co-writes, produces, and composes source music for the film. Inspired
by Carny soundtrack composer Alex North, with whom he worked, Robertson
becomes one of the first rock 'n' rollers to seriously engage the medium
of film. For
Scorsese's Raging Bull, Robertson creates background music and produces
source music. Released is The Band's Anthology, Vol. II.
1982·86
For another Scorsese film, King Of Comedy (released the following year),
Robertson serves as music producer, assembling tunes by The Pretenders,
Talking Heads, Ray Charles, Rickie Lee Jones and others. He also contributes
with his first post-Band solo recording, "Between Trains." Additionally,
he produces and plays guitar on Van Morrison's "Wonderful Remark."
Robertson signs via A&R executive Gary Gersh for his debut solo album
on Geffen Records. Robertson records with producer (and fellow Canadian)
Daniel Lanois. He also scores Scorsese's The Color Of Money working with
Gil Evans and co-writes with Clapton (It's In The Way That You Use It")
and Willie Dixon.
For Taylor
Hackford's film saluting Chuck Berry, Hail, Hail Rock & Roll, he's
enlisted as creative consultant.
1987·
Robertson completes his self-titled solo album for Geffen Records. Guest
stars on the album include Peter Gabriel and U2. "Somewhere Down
The Crazy River" is a hit in Europe (Scorsese directs the video).
Robbie Robertson goes Top 40 and gold. Robertson earns a Grammy® nomination
for "Best Rock Vocal" for the album.
Rod Stewart
records the Robertson-penned "Broken Arrow," which appears on
Stewart's Vagabond Heart album and becomes a hit.
1989·
At the Juno Awards (the Canadian version of the Grammys®), Robertson's
self-titled solo debut wins Album Of The Year; Robertson and Daniel Lanois
earn Producer Of The Year; and Robertson is awarded Best Male Vocalist.
In addition to Robertson's virtual Juno sweep, The Band is also inducted
into the Juno Hall of Fame. Robertson reunites with The Band (minus Helm)
for the first time in a dozen years with a performance at the awards ceremony.
Capitol-EMI
releases To Kingdom Come, a 31-track collection of The Band's hits, album
tracks, and rarities.
1991·94
Robertson co-produces his second album, Storyville, with Stephen Hague.
Largely recorded in New Orleans, the album features some of the city's
most respected musicians. Storyville earns Grammy® nominations for
Best Rock Vocal Performance (Solo) and for Best Engineered Album. Robertson
returns to his first recording home with The Band when he's signed by
new Capitol Records president Gersh. The Band is inducted into the Rock
& Roll Hall Of Fame and performs live at the induction ceremony. Capitol
releases Across The Great Divide, a three-CD boxed set chronicling The
Band's legacy.
1995·
Capitol releases The Band's Live At Watkins. Glen Robertson produces the
two-CD soundtrack album for Scorsese's Casino, using recordings from a
wide range of artists - from B.B. King to J.S. Bach.
The success
of "Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Drum Song)" inspires a concert in Agrigento,
Italy, celebrating Native American music. Roberston headlines the festival
along with numerous Native American musicians, and portions of the live
performance will appear in a PBS documentary in 1998.
In Rome,
Robertson headlines an annual Labor Day concert festival with support
acts Andrea Bocelli, Elvis Costello, and Radiohead. More than 300,000
fans attend the event.
1996·
Executive soundtrack producer Robertson hears a demo of "Change The
World" and sends it to Clapton as a suggestion for the soundtrack
to Phenomenon, starring John Travolta. He then enlists Babyface to produce
the track. "Change the World" wins 1997 Grammy® Awards for
Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
1997·
Robertson receives a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National
Academy of Songwriters.
The Classic
Albums series, which airs on VH1 and BBC, explores the making of some
of rock's most popular and influential records. The story behind The Band's
self-titled and enormously successful sophomore LP is told through a vivid
collection of performance footage and interviews with members of The Band,
Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Don Was. Classic Albums: The Band is
currently available on Rhino Home Video.
1998·
Contact From The Underworld Of Redboy is Robertson's first album in three
years.
Robertson
returns to the Six Nations Reservation -- where his mother was born and
he spent his childhood summers -- as part of a one-hour documentary entitled
Making A Noise: A Native American Journey With Robbie Robertson. Broadcast
on PBS, the special takes viewers on a musical journey into the Native
American heartland.
Mojo magazine
declares Dylan's "Royal Albert Hall" Concert "The Most
Famous Bootleg Album Of All Time," upon Columbia/Legacy's release
of Bob Dylan Live 1966: The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert -Bootleg
Series, Vol. 4. The complete 1966 live show is remixed and remastered
from the original three-track source tapes. The first disc is Dylan's
solo acoustic set; the second disc features his electrifying backing band,
The Hawks (minus Helm). Capturing the hostility of "folk purists"
in the audience, the set includes the stomping, booing, and now-famous
cry of "Judas" from one audience member - plus Dylan's caustic
retort.
1999·
Robertson reflects on the breakup of The Band, his solo career, and his
Native American roots in VH1's Behind The Music: Robbie Robertson.
2000·
Music industry legends David Geffen and Mo Ostin convince Robertson to
join DreamWorks Records as Creative Executive. Robertson, who persuaded
Grammy® Award winner Nelly Furtado to sign with the company, is actively
involved with film projects and developing new artist talent, including
recent signings AI, Boomkat, Daniel DeBourg, eastmountainsouth, and singer-songwriter-pianist
Dana Glover.
Robertson
composes the musical score to Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday.
2000-2001·
Robertson oversees Capitol Records' reissue campaign for all eight of
The Band's original albums. In addition to supervising the remastering
and remixing, he personally oversees the selection of all previously unreleased
material included on the releases: Music From Big Pink, The Band, Stage
Fright, Cahoots, Rock Of Ages (Live), Moondog Matinee, Northern Lights-Southern
Cross, Islands.
2001·
Life & Times, CBC-Television's premier biography series, airs Road
Songs: A Portrait Of Robbie Robertson. Directed by Bruce McDonald (Highway
61, Hard Core Logo, Claire's Hat), the documentary traces Robertson's
history from the streets of Toronto to stages around the world to his
role at DreamWorks Records.
The first-ever
Grammy® for Native American Album of the Year is awarded to XIT (Crossing
of Indian Tribes) for Gathering of Nations Pow Wow. Robertson, who presented
the award along with actor Val Kilmer, played a pivotal role in garnering
mainstream attention for the efforts of the Native American Music Association
to secure recognition by The Recording Academy for artists in this genre.
2002·
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Last Waltz, Robertson and Scorsese
provide newly edited, never-before-released elements from The Band's final
performance. In addition to a theatrical re-release (United Artists),
The Last Waltz is also available as a Special Edition DVD (MGM Home Entertainment)
and four-CD boxed set (Warner Bros./Rhino). Robertson supervises the 5.1
Dolby Surround Sound DVD mix and painstakingly remixes and remasters the
boxed set from the original multitrack masters.
Robertson
performs in the Native American ceremonial spectacular at the opening
ceremonies of the XIX Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He composes new
versions of two tracks especially for the event: "Making A Noise"
and "Stomp Dance (Unity)" -- both from Contact From the Underworld
Of Red Boy. The Five Nations Native American blessing of the athletes
features "Coyote Dance," from Music For The Native Americans.
Reuniting
with Scorsese on a new film project, Robertson serves as music supervisor
on Gangs Of New York (Miramax), which features an ensemble cast that includes
Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Slated for release
July 2002, the film tells the story of New York City's early corruption
and gang wars.
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