Garth Hudson early life, career, and more
Who is Garth Hudson?
Garth Hudson is the keyboardist as well as the saxophonist for the rock group Band. He was born on August 2, 1937. Described as “the most brilliant organist in the rock world” by Keyboard magazine, Garth Hudson is one of the only living members of Band. Described by Elton John as one of his early influences, Garth Hudson is a master of the Lowrey organ. He is also a skilled piano, accordion, and electronic keyboard player.
Quick facts on Garth Hudson
| Full name | Eric Garth Hudson |
| Known as | Garth Hudson |
| Birthday | August 2, 1937 |
| Age | 85 years old |
| Sun sign | Leo |
| Place of birth | Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Education | Broughdale Public School Medway High School University of Western Ontario |
Early life, upbringing, and education
Garth Hudson was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. His father’s name is Fred James Hudson and his mother’s name is Olive Pentland. Both his parents were musicians. In addition to his, his father Fred also served as a fighter pilot in the First World War.
Hudson was widely influenced by his parents’ musical career. He learned how to play the piano from a very young age. He also learned how to play the organ and the accordion. The musician has received classical training in piano, music theory, harmony, and counterpoint. He wrote his first song at the age of eleven.
The legendary musician studied at the Broughdale Public School and Medway High School. After this, he studied music at the University of Western Ontario. However, he dropped out of college a year later.
Garth Hudson career
In 1956, Garth Hudson joined a band called The Silhouettes. In 1958, Paul “London” Hutchins joined the band after which the group became known as Paul London And The Capers. Hudson used to play the saxophone as well as the piano in the group.
In1961, Hudson was approached by Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm who offered him to join The Hawks band. Garth Hudson joined the band in December 1961. Other than Hudson, the other band members were Ronnie Hawkins, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helms, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel.
In 1965, The Hawk members were introduced to Bob Dylan. The band along with Dylan recorded the song “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?”. Likewise, they accompanied Dylan on his 1966 tour of the USA, Europe, and Australia. After this, The Hawks released their debut album Music from Big Pink in 1968. By the time the album hit the market, The Hawks had changed their group name to Band.
After many successful releases, Band gave its final performance as a group in their final concert held on Thanksgiving Day 1976 in San Francisco. Following this, Band released their final album Islands.
After the disbandment, Garth Hudson worked as a session musician. He lent his music to many movies as well as albums by other artists such as Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, and Leonard Cohen.
In 1983, Band reformed. Original member Robbie Robertson did not join the group. Likewise, another band member Richard Manuel committed suicide in 1986. Even after this, Band managed to release three albums in the 90s.
In September 2001, Hudson released his first solo album The Sea to the North. The following year, Hudson formed the band Burrito Deluxe with Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Carlton Moody, Jeff “Stick” Davis, and Rick Lonow.
Burrito Deluxe released two albums called Georgia Peach and The Whole Enchilada. In 2010, Hudson released his album Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of the Band.
Albums:
| Year | Album | Label | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Music For Our Lady Queen Of The Angels’ | Buscador Music | *CD release on Other People’s Music 2005 |
| 2001 | The Sea to the North | Woodstock | |
| 2005 | Live at the Wolf | Make It Real | *with Sister Maud Hudson |
| 2010 | Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of the Band | Sony Music |
Other Appearances:
| Year | Album | Label | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album | Chess Records | with Muddy Waters |
| 1988 | Stay Awake (Various Interpretations Of Music From Vintage Disney Films) | A&M Records | Feed The Birds (From Mary Poppins) |
| 2006 | The Harry Smith Project: Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited | Shout! Factory | No Depression in Heaven (with Maude Hudson) |
| 2013 | The Beautiful Old: Turn-Of-The-Century Songs | Doubloon Records | The Rosary (1898), Till We Meet Again (1918) |
| 2013 | Love for Levon (A Benefit To Save The Barn) | Time Life | Appears with John Prine on “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and Dierks Bentley on “Chest Fever” |
Film credits:
| Year | Title | Worked as |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Last Waltz | Performer |
| 1980 | Raging Bull | Additional music composer |
| 1983 | The King of Comedy | Additional music |
| 1983 | The Right Stuff | Additional music composer |
| 1986 | Man Outside | Actor – Cheney/additional music |
| 1990 | The Wall – Live in Berlin | Performer |
| 1993 | The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration | Performer |
| 2003 | Festival Express | Performer |
| 2008 | Here Is What Is | Performer |
| 2013 | Love for Levon | Performer |
Awards and honors:
As a solo artist:
| Title | Category | Status (year) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada South Blues Society | Lifetime Achievement Award | Winner (2002) |
| Hamilton Music Scene | Instrumentalist of the Year | Winner (2005) |
| Blues Hall of Fame | “Legendary Blues Artist” | Inducted (2012) |
| London Music Awards | London Music Hall Of Fame | Inducted (2014) |
| Order of Canada | Member of the Order of Canada | Member (2019) |
As a member of The Band:
| Title | Status (year) |
|---|---|
| Juno Award’s Canadian Music Hall of Fame | Inducted (1989) |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Inducted (1994) |
| Hamilton Dofasco Lifetime of Achievement Award | Winner (2007) |
| Grammy Awards Lifetime of Achievement Award | Winner (2008) |
| Canada’s Walk of Fame | Inducted (2014) |
