Delve Into Danko

     In May 1961, guitarist Rick Danko secured a position as the wanted new bassist for Ronnie Hawkins' backing band, The Hawks. This sudden whirlwind decision proved to be a life-changing one for 17-year-old Danko. The Hawk, as Ronnie was commonly known, wanted Rick to hop in that white Cadillac as soon as possible, and Rick wasted no time making sure he could go. This whole new world was one that Rick was completely unfamiliar with. Being a small town, close-knit family country boy, Rick was rather sheltered from the "wild-life" of rock 'n' roll. Even the bands that he had been involved with played family-friendly community events that were nothing like what Ronnie Hawkins was about to show him.       While Rick was excited to be out on the road, he did not know what to expect from this new group of guys (which included Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson). Ronnie and the Hawks had a "terrible reputation" as Rick explains in Levon Helm's book, This Whe...

                                                         Rick's school photo      Welcome to the first blog post about Rick Danko! It is exciting to be starting this endeavor. The purpose of it is to tell the story of this incredible man's life. To the average listener, he is Rick Danko, the bassist and one of the lead singers of The Band. Most noted for singing "It Makes No Difference". For the big fans, he is Crazy Chester, the kid with the stage fright, or simply Ricky. Those who pay close attention to the Band's career from Music From Big Pink all the way through Jubilation and Rick's solo career are aware that a s a singer, he never wavered. Somehow he managed to do justice to any genre whether it be rock, folk, country, blues, or soul. He could sing in the high or low register. If he didn't feel it, he didn't do it. Fans ar...