Bob Dylan Pays Tribute to Garth Hudson: ‘The Real Driving Force Behind The Band’

Bob Dylan has shared a tribute to the late Garth Hudson – The Band’s longtime keyboardist and organist – just days after the beloved Canadian musician’s death at the age of 87.

Taking to his newly-active X account on Monday (Jan. 27), Dylan shared a brief reflection on Hudson’s musical legacy. “Sorry to hear the news about Garth Hudson. He was a beautiful guy and the real driving force behind The Band,” Dylan wrote. “Just listen to the original recording of The Weight and you’ll see.”

Hudson’s death occurred on Jan. 21, almost a week prior to Dylan’s tribute, becoming the final member of The Band’s most famous lineup to pass away in the process. 

Hudson officially began his tenure with The Band in 1965, after they had finished a two-year stint as The Hawks, the back-up group for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. That same year, The Band met Dylan who recruited them to become his backing group for a 1965 U.S. tour and an accompanying world tour in 1966. 

The following year, Dylan and The Band recorded the 1967 sessions known as The Basement Tapes which would later form the basis of The Band’s 1968 debut, Music from The Big Pink. Alongside many of their best-known songs, the record also included what is possibly their best-known song, “The Weight”, as referenced by Dylan in his own tribute.

In September 2024, Dylan released the expansive box set The 1974 Live Recordings, which featured 431 live live tracks documenting the titular 1974 tour with The Band as his backing group.

Alongside his tribute to Hudson, Dylan also announced the initial dates for his 2025 touring plans. Apparently bringing his Rough & Rowdy Ways Tour into the new year, the first four dates see Dylan performing in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Mankato, Minnesota; Wichita, Kansas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma – the latter of which notably features The Bob Dylan Center just a few doors down from the Woody Guthrie Center.

Bob Dylan 2025 Tour Dates

March 25 – Tulsa Theater, Tulsa, OK
March 29 – Century II Concert Hall, Wichita, KS
April 4 – Mayo Clinic Health Systems Event Center, Mankato, MN
April 6 – The Weidner-Cofrin Family HAll, Green Bay, WI