Testimony: Robbie Robertson

Robbie Robertson's unique contributions to popular music have established him as one of the most cherished songwriters and guitarists of his era. With songs such as 'The Weight', 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down', and 'Up on Cripple Creek', he and his bandmates in The Band crafted music that has resonated for decades, influencing countless musicians. In this compelling memoir, penned over five years of reflection, Robbie uses his distinctive storyteller's voice to intertwine the journey that led him to some of the most crucial events in music history.

He recounts the adventures of his upbringing, part Jewish, part Mohawk, on the Six Nations Indian Reserve and the gritty streets of Toronto; his odyssey at sixteen to the Mississippi Delta, the wellspring of American music; the wild, formative years on the road with rockabilly legend Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks; his unexpected connections to the Cosa Nostra underworld; the gripping trial-by-fire of 'going electric' with Bob Dylan on his 1966 world tour and their subsequent celebrated collaborations; the formation of The Band and the forging of their singular sound, culminating in history's most renowned farewell concert, immortalised in Martin Scorsese's magnificent film The Last Waltz.

This is the narrative of a time and place — the moment when rock 'n' roll became a way of life, when legends like Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley crisscrossed the circuit of clubs and roadhouses from Texas to Toronto, when The Beatles, Hendrix, The Stones, and Warhol moved through the same streets and hotel rooms. It's the tale of exhilarating change as the world tumbled through the sixties and early seventies, and a generation came of age, built on music, love, and freedom. Above all, it's the moving story of the deep friendship among five young men who together created a new genre of popular music. Testimony is Robbie Robertson's story, lyrical and true, as only he could tell it.