The Band’s Robbie Robertson born Jamie Royal Klegerman on this day in 1943. His biological father was a gambler that was killed while changing a tire on a Canadian highway shoulder. Jamie's mother would marry James Robertson, a co-worker at the Toronto area jewelry factory she was employed at. Robbie would not learn about this until after his parents split-up when he was a teenager.

 

His introduction to Rock & Roll came over the airwaves of a Buffalo, NY radio station. He joined his first band in his early teens and was in two others by 1959, which was when he crossed paths with Ronnie Hawkins, who hired Robertson to be a crew member. When Ronnie's bass player quit, Robbie joined Levon Helm as a member of the Hawks rhythm section. With some guidance and encouragement from Roy Buchanan, Robertson took up guitar.

 

Ronnie's back-up band parted ways with Hawkins in 1964. The following year, Bob Dylan's manager approached Robertson about joining Dylan's backing band. Not wanting to abandon Helm, Robertson made a counter proposal that Bob replace his backers with the Hawks. The backing band for Dylan morphed into the Band as the decade closed and became one of the most distinctive and long lastingly influential bands in Rock history.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on July 5 include...

1950 Huey Lewis (Clover and Huey Lewis and the News) born.

1964 Yardbirds release For Your Love.

1966 Animals bass player Chas Chandler convinces Jimi Hendrix to go to London after Greenwich Village club show.

1968 Fillmore West opens

1969 Rolling Stones do tribute to Brian Jones for an estimated 250,000 in London's Hyde Park. King Crimson and Family also perform. 

1975 Pink Floyd debuts Wish You Were Here at Knebworth. 

1975 Gregg Allman and Cher split-up jut over a week after marrying.

1995 Justice Department declines to press case charges against Ticketmaster.   

2006 Syd Barrett dies in seclusion decades after leaving Pink Floyd. 

2009 Beatles & Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein dies of Alzheimers Disease in New York CIty. 

2010 Sold-out Furthur concert at Shelburne Museum near Burlington, VT canceled over security concerns.

2015 Remaining Grateful Dead memberss do thier last Fare Thee Well concert at Soldier Field in Chicago.