Garth Hudson, the last surviving founding member of The Band, has died at 87

Garth Hudson, keyboardist/saxophonist for The Band and their last surviving founding member, died Tuesday morning at a nursing home in Woodstock, NY. Executors of his estate told The Toronto Star that Hudson passed away in his sleep. He was 87.

The Band shared an official statement on their socials: “Today, we sadly say goodbye to Garth ‘Honey Boy’ Hudson, the last living original member of The Band. A musical genius and cornerstone of the group’s timeless sound, Garth once said, ‘I found some true enjoyment in helping people get to the bottom of their feelings.’ Through his music, he did just that—helping us all feel more deeply and connect to something greater. Rest easy, Garth.”

Born in 1937 in Windsor, Ontario, Garth Hudson joined The Hawks in 1961 alongside Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm. The group would turn into The Band with guitarist Robbie Robertson, bassist Rick Danko and keyboardist/singer Richard Manuel, and would back Bob Dylan in 1965 after he went electric and toured with him through 1966. After leaving Dylan, The Band began releasing their own albums beginning with 1968’s iconic Music from Big Pink. Hudson’s Lowery organ playing was central to The Band’s soulful country rock sound.

After The Band broke up in 1976, following a farewell concert that was famously captured by Martin Scorsese for The Last Waltz, Hudson went on to be an in-demand studio musician, playing on records by Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, and more. The Band reformed in 1983 without Robertson and stayed active through the ’90s, a decade in which they released three new albums. Hudson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Band in 1994.

Robbie Robertson died in 2023, while Levon Helm died in 2012.

Rest easy, Garth.