Richard Clare "Rick" Danko (1942–1999) was a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the bassist and one of the lead vocalists for the rock group The Band. His career began in the 1960s as a member of the Hawks, Ronnie Hawkins' backing band, which later supported Bob Dylan before establishing themselves in their own right. His melodic bass style, often on a fretless bass, and his melancholic tenor voice were distinctive elements of the group's sound, as evidenced by celebrated songs he sang, such as "It Makes No Difference" and "Stage Fright." He co-wrote the classic "This Wheel's on Fire" with Dylan. After the group's dissolution, marked by the concert *The Last Waltz* (1976), he released a self-titled solo album in 1977 and participated in subsequent band reunions. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band, and in 2008, he posthumously received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.