Testimony
By robbie robertson

Robbie Robertson's singular contributions to popular music have made him
one of the most beloved songwriters and guitarists of his time. With
songs like The Weight', The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' and Up
on Cripple Creek', he and his partners in the Band fashioned a music
that has endured for decades, influencing countless musicians.In
this captivating memoir, written over five years of reflection, Robbie
employs his unique storyteller's voice to weave together the journey
that led him to some of the most pivotal events in music history. He
recounts the adventures of his half-Jewish, half-Mohawk upbringing on
the Six Nations Indian Reserve and on the gritty streets of Toronto; his
odyssey at sixteen to the Mississippi Delta, the fountainhead of
American music; the wild, early years on the road with rockabilly legend
Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks; his unexpected ties to the Cosa Nostra
underworld; the gripping trial-by-fire of 'going electric' with Bob
Dylan on his 1966 world tour and their ensuing celebrated
collaborations; the formation of the Band and the forging of their
unique sound, culminating with history's most famous farewell concert,
brought to life for all time in Martin Scorsese's great movie The Last Waltz. This
is the story of a time and place - the moment when rock 'n' roll became
life, when legends like Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley crisscrossed the
circuit of clubs and roadhouses from Texas to Toronto, when the Beatles,
Hendrix, the Stones and Warhol moved through the same streets and hotel
rooms. It's the story of exciting change as the world tumbled through
the '60s and early '70s and a generation came of age, built on music,
love and freedom. Above all, it's the moving story of the profound
friendship among five young men who together created a new kind of
popular music. Testimony is Robbie Robertson's story, lyrical and true, as only he could tell it.