Robbie Robertson

Sound

Robbie Robertson

Born 1943-07-05 · Toronto, Ontario

Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023) was a Canadian musician. He was lead guitarist for Bob Dylan in the mid-late 1960s and early-mid 1970s, guitarist and songwriter with the Band from their inception until 1978, and a solo artist. Robertson's work with the Band was instrumental in creating the Americana music genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as a member of the Band, and into Canada's Walk of Fame, with the Band and on his own. He is ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists. He wrote "The Weight", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and "Up on Cripple Creek" with the Band and had solo hits with "Broken Arrow" and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River", and many others. He was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters. Robertson collaborated on film and TV soundtracks, usually with director Martin Scorsese, beginning in the rockumentary film The Last Waltz (1978) and continuing through dramatic films including Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), The Color of Money (1986), Casino (1995), Gangs of New York (2002), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Silence (2016), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

Acting credits

The Crossing Guard poster
6.0

Unable to move on from the loss of his daughter, Freddy, now a shell of the person he was before, swears to kill the man responsible for her death.

The Crossing Guard

1995

The Last Waltz poster
7.7

Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and other rock legends.

The Last Waltz

1978

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band poster
6.8

A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band

2020

Lennon or McCartney poster
5.3

550 artists were interviewed over ten years. At some point during those interviews, they were asked a question and told to answer with one word only. Some stuck to one, some said more, some answered quickly, some thought it through, and some didn't answer at all. That question… Lennon or McCartney?

Lennon or McCartney

2014

Martin Scorsese Directs poster
9.0

Providing behind the scenes footage of the director on set with clips from his own films, Martin Scorsese Directs depicts to riveting effect the way Scorsese brings the written story to life on the big screen. Additional interviews with the likes of Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Thelma Schoonmaker, the director’s own parents, and others build a perception of Scorsese that not everybody knows.

Martin Scorsese Directs

1990

Carny poster
6.2

Tired of being a small-town waitress, Donna departs with the latest carnival show, living with entertainers Frankie and Patch in a tense, emotional triangle.

Carny

1980

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World poster
7.6

Documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history, a little-known story built around the incredible lives and careers of the some of the greatest music legends.

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

2017

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan poster
7.8

A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan

2005

Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble poster
5.5

Join iconic Canadian artists, activists, actors, and athletes as they share their stories of hope and inspiration in this national salute to our frontline workers and in support of Food Banks Canada’s COVID-19 relief efforts.

Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble

2020

Reel Injun poster
7.0

The evolution of the depiction of the various Native American peoples in cinema, from the silent era to the present day: how their image on the screen has changed the way to understand their history and culture.

Reel Injun

2010

Revisiting 'The Last Waltz' poster
5.0

Documentary about the making of Martin Scorsese's film of the Band's 1976 farewell concert.

Revisiting 'The Last Waltz'

2002

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On poster
7.5

An in-depth look at the life of the activist and musician, with archival material never seen before, with present-day footage of Buffy performing and interviews with her bandmates, colleagues and herself.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

2022

Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica poster
7.8

A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica is a two-part documentary about the process of making the Metallica album (or "The Black Album"), and the following tour. It was produced by Juliana Roberts and directed by Adam Dubin. The second part runs approximately two-and-a-half hours and follows Metallica at the start of their Wherever We May Roam Tour in Europe through to the Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour of 1992.

Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica

1992

The Dancing Man of L.A. poster
NR

One man dance party Howard Mordoh, a longtime fixture of the L.A. concert scene, copes with the canceled concerts and isolation of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dancing Man of L.A.

2021

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 poster
5.8

Captured across two nights at Madison Square Garden, the Crossroads Guitar Festival offers a variety of legendary guitarists performing a mix of sultry blues, classic rock and country jams.

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013

2013

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 poster
7.1

Double-DVD Captures Highlights from Festival With Performances and Collaborations by Guitar Wizards Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Robert Cray, Robbie Robertson, Sheryl Crow, Derek Trucks and More

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007

2007

The Allman Brothers Band: Live at Great Woods poster
5.9

Recorded in the September of 1991, originally for Japanese TV, The Allman Brothers Band's beloved "Live at Great Woods" showcases the classic American rock band reaching a new generation of audiences. Original band members Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe were joined by new guitarist Warren Haynes, bassist Allen Woody and percussionist Marc Quinones in one of the most powerful lineups in the group's history.

The Allman Brothers Band: Live at Great Woods

1991

Festival Express poster
7.2

The filmed account of a large Canadian rock festival train tour boasting major acts. In the summer of 1970, a chartered train crossed Canada carrying some of the world's greatest rock bands. The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band, Buddy Guy, and others lived (and partied) together for five days, stopping in major cities along the way to play live concerts. Their journey was filmed.

Festival Express

2003

Robbie Robertson: Going Home poster
NR

Documentary on musician Robbie Robertson.

Robbie Robertson: Going Home

1995

Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll poster
7.3

St. Louis, 1986. For Chuck Berry's 60th, Keith Richards assembles a pickup band of Robert Cray, Joey Spampinato, Eric Clapton, himself and long-time Berry pianist, Johnnie Johnson. Joined on stage by Etta James, Linda Ronstadt and Julian Lennon, Berry performs his classic rock songs. His abilities as a composer, lyricist, singer, musician and entertainer are on display and, in behind-the-scenes interviews, are discussed by Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bruce Springstein, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and others. There's even a rarity for Berry—a rehearsal. Archival footage from the early 1950s and a duet with John Lennon round out this portrait of a master.

Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll

1987

Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson poster
NR

Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson is a 2024 tribute concert held at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, featuring Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Trey Anastasio, and more. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the filmed version captures an all-star celebration of Robertson’s enduring musical legacy.

Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson

Movies Are My Life poster
6.8

The very first full-length documentary on Scorsese offers an invaluable look at how he was perceived by his colleagues, and himself, in 1977. Catching Scorsese while he was in post-production on New York, New York and editing The Last Waltz, British filmmaker Peter Hayden gets the manically hyper Scorsese to comment on his youth, his relation to his lead characters, the making of Mean Streets and most importantly, his approach to direction. The doc doesn’t quite move at the pace of Scorsese’s revved-up speed-talking, but it does offer some real insight into his productivity in the 1970s, thanks to an impressive array of talking heads. Included are Scorsese’s collaborators Jay Cocks, Mardik Martin, Brian De Palma, Steven Prince (who co-produced this doc), and his mentor John Cassavetes. Also the performers, who discuss his working methods in detail — Jodie Foster, Liza Minnelli, and, of course, Robert De Niro.

Movies Are My Life

1988

Ronnie Hawkins: Still Alive and Kickin poster
8.0

Narrated by Dan Aykroyd, this documentary tribute celebrates rock 'n' roll pioneer Ronnie Hawkins. Packed with performance footage and celebrity interviews, the program focuses on a year in Hawkins's life during which he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, then experienced an amazing recovery. Song clips include "Forty Days," "Blues Stroller," "Bittersweet," "Need Your Lovin' (Oh So Bad)," "Blue-Eyed Baby" and more.

Ronnie Hawkins: Still Alive and Kickin

2004

Shakin' All Over: Canadian Pop Music in the 1960s poster
NR

A joyful look at Canadian music from the '60s that traces the evolution of a young industry with stories from such artists as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Lighthouse, Steppenwolf and the Guess Who, in harmony with a younger generation of stars.

Shakin' All Over: Canadian Pop Music in the 1960s

2005

Behind the camera