Robbie Robertson turns 76 and shows no signs of slowing down
Posted July 4, 2019 5:43 pm.
Last Updated July 4, 2019 6:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canadian music icon Robbie Robertson is having a big year. He turns 76 on July 5th and is busier than ever, including a new project with Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese.
“I just finished the score for his new movie The Irishman. The movie is incredible, it is so good!” Robertson told CityNews. “It’s different and it’s spellbinding. The performances are extraordinary by Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.”
Scorsese and Robertson’s relationship goes back decades to when they first worked on The Last Waltz together 43 years ago. Their latest film collaboration marks just one of many projects the artist is working on.
“I have this documentary coming out in the fall, I have a new record connected to the documentary and connected to The Irishman movie coming out this fall and the 50th anniversary of The Band album. Oh I forgot! I’m also working on volume two of my autobiography! All of these elements happening so I have all of this stuff.. I’m booked up!”
Robertson was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award during Canadian Music Week in Toronto. Although he has lived away from Toronto the last three decades he says Canada will always be home.
“It absolutely feels like my home, there is just no way around it! I have a lot of friends from different places and they dread going back to where they are from. I have the opposite feelings and I always love coming back here. It feels just right to me and it’s where I began this all so it has deep meaning for me.”
The singer-songwriter has inspired some of the world’s top musicians from Eric Clapton to Paul McCartney over the years and today he is cheering for another Canadian to do the same.
“I love Jessie Reyez. She is so terrific and such a special talent. I’m rooting for her. I listened to some of her new music in a record studio and it sounds great.”
Not only does Robertson celebrate his 76th birthday but this week also marked the 51 year anniversary of The Band’s album Music From Big Pink.
