The Band

The Band emerged in 1958 as the Hawks, initially serving as the backing group for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. While drummer Levon Helm was an Arkansan, the other four members were Canadians. A notable historical footnote is their near-miss recording session with blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II in 1965, who died shortly after they jammed together. During their time with Bob Dylan, they famously used a basement in a house called Big Pink to record the Basement Tapes. Despite Robbie Robertson’s role as primary songwriter, his live microphone was often muted during concerts because his singing was considered off-key.