The Premiere Songwriter of His Generation ... (Created April 24, 2013)

Known as one of the premier songwriters of his generation, Robbie Robertson grew up with exposure to music at a young age. From guitar lessons and song composition to interests that morphed from country to rock and roll, he dropped out of school to pursue a career and never looked back.

It was 1958 when Robertson teamed up with rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins' backing band, the Hawks, playing alongside Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Richard Manuel. Though the band remained with Hawkins through 1963, they made a name for themselves when they played with Bob Dylan during his 1965-66 world tour. Thanks to the affiliation, they were simply renamed the Band, and went on to become one of rock's most innovative acts.

The Band dissolved in 1976, but it didn't keep Robertson from making music. He had a long affiliation with famed director Marin Scorsese, and did everything from produce and star in one of his films to composing the score for another. In fact, he literally confined his work to Scorsese's films for a number of years, eventually releasing his self-titled solo debut album in the late 80's.

A man of many talents, Robertson has since worked for Dreamworks as a creative executive, performed at the Olympic Games, and appeared on Jerry Lee Lewis' comeback album. Robertson's most recent project, "How to Become Clairvoyant," was released on the 429 Records imprint in 2011. It featured guest appearances by Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Trent Reznor and others.