Musician. Best known as the primary songwriter and lead guitarist of the Canadian rock band, "The Band." His musical career began at 14 when he joined the short-lived group "Little Caesar and The Consuls." After forming his own band "Robbie and the Robots," Robertson caught the attention of legendary musician, Ronnie Hawkins, who invited him to join the road crew for his band "Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks." It was here that Robertson first became acquainted with the group's drummer, Levon Helm. Later additions to the touring group included Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson. These men would go on to form the core of Robertson's most famous group, "The Band." As the group grew dissatisfied with Hawkins' rockabilly format, they left behind their front man, taking on the new moniker "Levon and The Hawks." Beginning in 1965 the group entered into a partnership with Bob Dylan, touring with the legendary folk musician during his 1966 world tour and recording his 16th album "The Basement Tapes." In 1967 "The Hawks" officially became "The Band." Their first album released the following year was entitled "Music from Big Pink." The recording met with critical acclaim, featuring the hit song, "The Weight." In 1969 the group performed at both the Woodstock and Isle of Wight Festivals. The same year witnessed the release of their sophomore effort, the self-titled album, "The Band," which featured notable compositions including "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "Up on Cripple Creek," and "King Harvest." 1970's "Stage Fright" was a repeat success, highlighted by Robertson-penned songs such as "The Shape I'm In" and the namesake "Stage Fright." In 1974, "The Band" reunited with Bob Dylan to record the album "Planet Waves" for which they also toured in support. Two years later, Robertson decided that the time had come for "The Band" to cease operations as a touring band. In preparation for the group's end, they agreed to a final legendary show which would be filmed by Martin Scorsese at San Francisco's famed Winterland Ballroom. The show, supported by legendary acts ranging from Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Neil Young, and Van Morrison, became known as, "The Last Waltz." The film was released in the Spring of 1978, meeting with financial and critical success. Following the cessation of "The Band," Robertson collaborated with a number of other musical acts including Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Diamond. In addition to his musical career, Robertson also made a foray into the acting world, co-starring alongside Gary Busey and Jodie Foster in the 1980 film, "Carny." Robertson's professional relationship with Martin Scorsese continued into the new decade, with him scoring the director's films, "Raging Bull," "The King of Comedy," and "The Color of Money," the latter of which contained the Robertson co-written Eric Clapton hit, "It's in the Way That You Use It." In 1987 he released his first solo album, eponymously titled, "Robbie Robertson," which peaked at number 35 on the U.S. charts. Subsequent solo efforts included 1991's "Storyville," "Music for the Native Americans (1994)," and "How to Become Clairvoyant (2011)." During the latter period of his career, Robertson once again returned to scoring the filmography of Scorsese. His work can be heard in notable movies such as "Casino," "The Departed," "Ladder 49" and "Gangs of New York." For his contributions to the musical field, Robertson was bestowed a number of prestigious honors throughout his career. Such honors included induction into the Canadian Juno Hall of Fame, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receipt of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters, and induction into both the Canadian Walk of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.