Richard Manuel (1943-1986) was a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the group The Band. A multi-instrumentalist, his primary contribution was as pianist and one of the group's three lead vocalists. His soulful baritone voice, capable of a haunting falsetto, is considered one of the most distinctive of his generation, and he was the lead vocalist on iconic songs such as "Tears of Rage," "In a Station," and "I Shall Be Released." As a songwriter, he contributed to classics like "The Shape I'm In" and "Whispering Pines," often in collaboration with Robbie Robertson. His career began with Ronnie Hawkins' The Hawks, a group that later backed Bob Dylan before evolving into The Band, with whom he recorded pivotal albums such as *Music from Big Pink* and *The Band*. After his death, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, both as a member of The Band.