Rick Danko

Richard Clare Danko (December 29, 1943 – December 10, 1999)[1] was a Canadian musician, bassist, songwriter and singer, best known as a founding member of The Band.

During the 1960s, Danko performed as a member of the Hawks, backing Ronnie Hawkins and then Bob Dylan. Then, between 1968 and 1977, Danko and the Hawks, now called the Band, released seven studio albums before the band broke up. Beginning with the group’s reformation in 1983 and up until his death, Danko participated in the Band’s partial reunion.

Danko was born on December 29, 1943[2][3] in Blayney, Ontario, a farming community outside the town of Simcoe, the third of four sons in a musical family of Ukrainian descent. He grew up listening to live music at family gatherings and to country music, blues and R&B on the radio. He especially liked country music, and often his mother would let him stay up late to listen to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio.[4]

His musical influences included Hank Williams, the Carter Family and, later, Sam Cooke. He also drew inspiration from the music of his eldest brother, Junior. Danko’s second-eldest brother, Dennis, was an accomplished songwriter, and his younger brother, Terry, also became a musician.[citation needed]

He made his musical debut playing a four-string tenor banjo for his first-grade classmates,[5][6] and while various sources differ slightly, all suggest he was headed to a professional career early. One report has him forming his first “Rick Danko Band” at age 12 or 13,[7] another reference mentions that by age 14 he was putting on country & western shows with his brothers, Maurice Jr., Dennis and Terry, using various group names.[8] It is also written that he started a band at that age with his eldest brother, Maurice Junior and a local high school teacher on drums. This trio performed country music and R & B at local dance halls, sometimes rented themselves, weddings, and other events. The group, “The Starlights”, expanded to included accordion, second guitar and “a girl singer”, expanded their repertoire to include polkas for newer European immigrants.[9][10]