4 Unforgettable Vocal Performances by The Band’s Rick Danko to Mark the 25th Anniversary of His Death

Rick Danko, the longtime bassist and co-lead vocalist of The Band, died 25 years ago today (December 10, 1999). The Canadian musician passed away in his sleep of heart failure at his home in Marbletown, New York, near Woodstock. He was 55.

Rick possessed a high and emotive singing voice, and was and exceptional bassist. He also played fiddle and guitar. Danko was just 16 years old when he joined Arkansas-born singer Ronnie Hawkins’ Toronto-based band The Hawks in 1960. The group, whose drummer was Hawkins’ fellow Arkansan Levon Helm, eventually also featured local guitarist Robbie Robertson, piano player Richard Manuel, and keyboardist Garth Hudson.

[RELATED: The Story Behind the Song The Band’s Rick Danko Wrote With Bob Dylan in a Basement]

The Hawks parted ways with Hawkins in 1964, and by 1965 they had been hired as Bob Dylan’s touring band. After Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident in 1966, the group relocated to the Woodstock, New York, area, with the folk-rock legend. There, they worked on new music with Dylan in a rented house that was dubbed “Big Pink.” As they came up with original material, The Hawks rechristened themselves The Band and began recording albums.

While Danko wasn’t a key contributor to the songwriting, his vocals and bass were important elements of The Band’s music. After the group’s original lineup played their famous farewell concert, “The Last Waltz,” in November 1976, Danko launched a solo career. Beginning in the 1980s, The Band re-formed without Robertson and continued on with various lineups (Manuel died by suicide in 1986) until Danko’s death.

Danko was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band in 1993.

In commemoration of the anniversary of Rick’s death, here are four unforgettable songs by The Band featuring his fabulous voice:

“This Wheels on Fire” (1968)

“This Wheels on Fire” actually is a song that Danko co-wrote with Dylan during the sessions near Woodstock for the recordings that became known as Bob’s famous “Basement Tapes.” According to Danko, Dylan came up with the song’s lyrics, which Rick set to music that he’d recently on piano. He also said that he and Dylan wrote the chorus together.

The Band’s version of “This Wheels on Fire” appeared on their 1968 debut album, Music from Big Pink. The song’s music features elements of rock, blues, soul, and a bit of funk. Danko delivers strong lead vocals, accompanied by Helm and Manuel on harmonies.

“The Unfaithful Servant” (1969)

“The Unfaithful Servant” is a piano ballad written by Robertson that’s featured on The Band’s self-titled 1969 sophomore album. The song is sung from the perspective of a character who is lamenting that the servant of a household is being sent away after apparently doing something improper.

Danko’s mournful, plaintive vocals are a highlight. So are solos by Robertson on acoustic guitar and Hudson on soprano sax that bring the tune to a close.

“The Unfaithful Servant” also appeared on the B-side of The Band’s “Rag Mama Rag” single.

“Stage Fright” (1970)

“Stage Fright” is the title track to The Band’s third album, released in 1970. The song, which was written by Robertson, was inspired by the mix of anxiety and excitement he felt playing live.

Robertson originally intended to have Manuel sing “Stage Fright,” but thought the quavery quality of Danko’s voice was better suited to deliver the tune.

The late Ralph Gleason, founding editor of Rolling Stone magazine, once rated “Stage Fright” as the greatest song ever written about performing.

“It Makes No Difference” (1975)

“It Makes No Difference” appears on The Band’s sixth studio album, Northern Lights – Southern Cross, which was released in 1975. The song, which also was written by Robertson, is considered by many to feature Danko’s finest vocal performance.

Rick’s melancholy and impassioned voice fully reflects the heartache of the ballad’s theme, that of the loneliness one goes through after a romantic breakup.

In a 1975 interview with journalist Robert Palmer, as reposted by Songfacts, Danko said of “It Makes No Difference, “I thought about the song in terms of saying that time heals all wounds. Except in some cases, and this was one of those cases.”

Danko and The Band’s live rendition of the song in the Martin Scorsese directed concert film The Last Waltz was among the many highlights of the movie.