Garth Hudson, born in Windsor, Ontario, on August 2, 1937, is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer, known primarily as the keyboardist and organist of the legendary rock group The Band. His classical training and improvisational skills defined the group's sound. He began his career with The Hawks, Ronnie Hawkins' backing band, which later backed Bob Dylan on his controversial 1965-66 electric tour. With The Band, Hudson helped create iconic albums such as *Music from Big Pink* (1968) and *The Band* (1969), distinguishing himself with his innovative use of the Lowrey organ, whose orchestral sound became a trademark, as in the introduction to "Chest Fever." After the group's original disbandment in 1976, he continued as a respected session musician, released the solo album *The Sea to the North* (2001), and participated in The Band's reunion in the 1980s and 1990s. Along with the other members of The Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.