Garth Hudson, who played organ, accordion, saxophone, and more as a member of the Band—perhaps still the group that best embodies the glorious, lawless amalgamation of styles at the very heart of rock and roll—died at the age of eighty-seven,

Therefore, it is with a huge sigh that I note the death of Garth Hudson, the Band’s keyboard player, at the age of 87 years old. He was the last surviving member of the group. Keyboard player does not begin to describe Garth’s talents and passions. As The New York Times noted:

Garth Hudson, the Band’s virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician, has died at age 87. Hudson, the eldest and last survivor of the group which once backed Bob Dylan, has died at age 87.

Garth Hudson, the multi-instrumentalist who served as the principal architect of the Band's sound, has died at 87.

A multifaceted musician, he was the last surviving original member of an influential group that mixed rock, r&b and an Americana sound.

Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of The Band, has died. He was 87. Hudson died early Tuesday in a nursing home near Woodstock, New York, his former manager, Jim Della Croce, confirmed to USA TODAY.