Remembering Rick Danko | The Band on Saturday Night Live
By Scott Bernstein Dec 10, 2013 • 9:50 am PST
It was a sad day 14 years ago today when word came out that The Band bassist Rick Danko passed away at his home near Woodstock of heart failure. Since rock’s early days many bassists have played their instrument and sang, but for our money no one approaches the Canadian product’s ability to convey emotion through both his voice and four-string. Danko’s lead and harmony vocals could make a grown man cry and were a driving force in the success of The Band. 
Just before The Last Waltz Danko and The Band appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, where they played four songs. The network is quick to take down footage of SNL performances from those days, but somehow this “video of a video” featuring Rick’s heartfelt delivery of “Stage Fright” has survived:
