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Bob Dylan has finally spoken out about the death of his longtime collaborator, Robbie Robertson.
Two days after Robertson died at the age of 80 from a prolonged illness, Dylan issued a brief statement on his death.
“This is shocking news,” Dylan said in a statement provided to Melinda Newman in Deadline’s sister post. painting. “Robbie was a friend for life. His death leaves a vacant place in the world.”
Their history goes way back. Robertson played guitar with Dylan starting in the mid-1960s. It was Dylan’s transition, who was transitioning into his electric period.
“We were booed all over North America, Australia and Europe, people were saying this didn’t work, we kept going and Bob didn’t budge,” Robertson recalled.
Robertson played on Dylan’s 1966 album blonde on blondeand later recorded with Dylan on their 2014 mega-set Bootleg Vol. 11: The Complete Basement Tapes.
Robertson and Dylan toured together in 1974, as well as recording Dylan’s No. 1 studio album planet waves together.
Dylan was also one of the musicians who joined The Band The last waltz Concert, recorded on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. The show closes with Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”.
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