Robbie Robertson, guitarist and songwriter of The Band, has died

Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, who captured the essence and helped revolutionize American music in such classics as "The Weight", "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", has passed away. . He was 80 years old.

The Band was a major influence on popular music in the 1960s and 1970s, first reinforcing Bob Dylan's polarizing transition from folk artist to rock star, and then eventually growing into a popular band, creating a new sound steeped in into America's past.