Rick Danko

Richard Clare "Rick" Danko (December 29, 1942-December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician and singer, probably best known as a member of The Band.

Early Years (1942-1967)

Danko was born at the tail end of 1942 in Green's Corner, Ontario, a farming community outside of the small town of Simcoe, to a musical family of Ukrainian-Canadians. Growing up, as his future bandmates' also did, in front of the family radio, he was exposed to country and R&B music at an early age. At the age of fifteen, he dropped out of school and found a job as an apprentice butcher. At the age of seventeen, already a five-year veteran of playing music, he booked himself to be an opening act for Ronnie Hawkins, an American rockabilly singer whose group, The Hawks were considered to be one of the best in Canada. Among those already in the group were drummer Levon Helm, who had joined Hawkins in 1957 (before Hawkins ventured north) and lead guitarist Robbie Robertson, who had joined in 1960.

Related Topics:
1942 - Ukrainian-Canadian - Country - R&B - Ronnie Hawkins - Canada - Levon Helm - Robbie Robertson

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Hawkins, quite taken with Danko, asked the lad to join The Hawks as rhythm guitarist. Danko agreed, in spite of the fact he only knew four chords on the instrument. Around this time, Hawks bassist Rebel Paine was fired by Hawkins, who, wasting no time, had Danko learn the bass, and by September 1960, Danko was Hawkins' bassist, using the Fender VI six-string baritone guitar model, later graduating to a Fender Jazz Bass.

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Soon joined by pianist Richard Manuel and organist/reedsman Garth Hudson, The Hawks played concerts with Hawkins through mid-1963, when an altercation between Danko and Hawkins led Danko, Helm, Robertson, Manuel and Hudson, as well as reedsman Jerry Penfound and occasional singer Bruce Bruno to hand in their two-week notices. Initially performing as the Levon Helm Sextet (as Helm had accumulated the most time with Hawkins), they later became The Canadian Squires before finally being called Levon and the Hawks.

Related Topics:
Richard Manuel - Garth Hudson

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Playing a circuit that stretched in an arc from Ontario to Arkansas, they became known as "the best damn bar band in the land". By 1965, with two singles under their belts and Penfound and Bruno long gone, they met the legendary blues harmonicist and vocalist Sonny Boy Williamson, and planned a collaboration with him, just as soon as he returned to Chicago. Unfortunately for the group, who went to play a four-month stand of gigs in New Jersey immediately afterward, Williamson died within days of their meeting, and the collaboration never happened.

Related Topics:
Ontario - Arkansas - 1965 - Sonny Boy Williamson

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At the same time, however, Bob Dylan, who had just abandoned folk music for rock and roll, contacted the group, who eventually all joined up with Dylan as his backing group (though it quickly became too much for Helm, who departed in November). Through May of 1966, Dylan and the remaining foursome with pick-up drummers, traveled across America, Australia and Europe, playing new versions of Dylan classics. After the final shows in England, Dylan retreated to his new home in Woodstock, New York, and the Hawks joined him shortly thereafter.

Related Topics:
Bob Dylan - Folk music - Rock and roll - May - 1966 - Woodstock, New York

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