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[Sat., December 11, 1999 2:17 AM EST ]
                 The Band's Danko Struggled To Improve Health, Friends Say
                 Roots-rock bassist/singer, who died Friday, apparently
                 never lost passion for music.
                 Staff Writer Brian Hiatt reports:
                 The Band bassist/singer Rick Danko struggled with a severe weight
                 problem in recent years, and he and those around him feared for his
                 health, friends said Friday (Dec.10).
                 Danko died in his sleep Friday morning in his Woodstock, N.Y., home,
                 and no official cause of death has been announced. But friends said it was
                 no secret that he was not well.
                 "I'm not surprised — it didn't shock me," producer Jim Tullio said of the
                 news of Danko's death. Tullio, who has produced records for folk singers
                 Richie Havens and John Prine, worked with Danko on an aborted solo
                 project in the mid-'90s.
                                 Tullio, who last saw Danko last week, when he
                                 traveled to Chicago to play two solo concerts, said
                                 the singer may have weighed as much as 350
                                 pounds.
                                 Singer/songwriter Nicholas Tremulis, whose band
                                 backed Danko for the Chicago shows, said Danko's
                                 weight problem emerged as he tried to beat a
                                 long-standing addiction to heroin.
                                 "If anything, his weight gain was due to the [fact]
                                 that he was trying to get healthier in that respect,"
                                 Tremulis said.
                                 Tremulis recruited Danko to play a benefit concert
                                 for Chicago's Neon Street homeless shelter in
                                 March. The event was loosely organized as a tribute
                                 to The Band's star-filled 1976 farewell concert and
                                 film, "The Last Waltz."
                                 Danko sang lead on such Band songs as "Stage
                                 Fright" and also can be heard on The Band's
                                 signature song "The Weight" .
                 Danko's publicist, Carol Caffin, acknowledged that Danko had gained a
                 great deal of weight in recent years but cautioned against speculation on
                 the cause of his death.
                 "It's very hard. He [was] a beautiful guy ... I don't like to hear negativity,"
                 Caffin said. Danko was enjoying life and was excited about his new solo
                 record, Live on Breeze Hill, which was released in September, she said.
                 When Danko spoke with SonicNet Music News from a New York hotel
                 room in September, he was more eager to talk about The Band's future
                 than its past glories.
                 "We're as healthy as we've ever been," he said.
                 But Danko's passing most likely marks the end of The Band as well, Tullio
                 said. "Without Rick, I'd say it's over," he said.
                 Drummer Levon Helm, keyboardist Garth Hudson and guitarist Robbie
                 Robertson are the only surviving original members of The Band, and
                 Robertson hasn't played with the group since 1976, when they first broke
                 up.
                 "I don't think they've thought of it ... I don't know what they're planning to
                 do," Caffin said, noting that she doesn't represent Hudson or Helm.
                 Those who knew Danko described him as a generous, fun-loving man
                 whose passion for music never diminished over the years.
                 "Most people in the music industry are ... cynical and jaded. I never met a
                 man who was less cynical," Tremulis said.
                 "He always had too many people on the guest list — that's the kind of guy
                 that Rick was," Caffin, his publicist for eight years, said.
                 Just this week, Danko completed a U.S. tour in support of his new album,
                 playing his final show Tuesday at the Ark in Ann Arbor, Mich.
                 Performing with keyboardist Aaron Hurwitz, who produced The Band's
                 most recent album, Danko played two sets instead of the one that had
                 been expected, David Siglin, the club's director, said.
                 "He was really into the show," Siglin said. "If he was in really bad health,
                 he was ignoring it completely."
                 Danko planned to donate the proceeds from his album to the
                 environmental charity Greenpeace, and he often supported many other
                 charities in the past, his publicist said.
                 "Music has been really kind to us over the years. It's nice to be able to put
                 something back, instead of just take, take, take," Danko said last year.
                 "It's good that we can give something back, whether it be [for] mental
                 health or child-abuse programs or Parkinson's disease or Down
                 syndrome."
                 Several of Danko's friends couldn't bring themselves to refer to him in the
                 past tense Friday. "There's no one like him," Tremulis said.

                 (Sonic Net Staff Writer Chris Nelson contributed to this report.)

Tuesday, December 14, 1999
                             Paying tribute to Danko
                             'One of the kindest hearts to have
                             graced this planet'
                                   By JIM SLOTEK -- Toronto Sun
                                Funeral services are in Woodstock, N.Y.,
                             tomorrow for The Band bassist Rick Danko, who
                             died Friday in his sleep. A Toronto contingent will
                             include Ronnie Hawkins, blues guitarist Colin
                             Linden and his wife, and keyboardist Richard
                             Bell.
                             Bell has filled in with The Band on keyboard on
                             the heels of other tragedies, the suicide of original
                             keyboardist Richard Manuel in 1986 and the
                             heart attack death of Manuel's replacement Stan
                             Szelest in 1991.
                             "Rick (Danko) dealt with more grief than I ever
                             did in my life, and yet he always had a positive
                             attitude," says Linden of his friend, whose drug
                             and alcohol battles often overshadowed his talent.
                             "I feel a bit selfish being so bummed out."
                             Meanwhile, Robbie Robertson released a
                             statement yesterday summing up his loss: "I think
                             Rick was one of the greatest and most soulful
                             singers I've ever heard. Definitely, the most
                             original bass player I've ever heard and one of the
                             kindest hearts to have graced this planet. I feel
                             blessed to have known him and loved him and to
                             have had the opportunity to work with him for all
                             those years. I will sadly miss him."

**More News**
[Sat., December 11, 1999 2:17 AM EST ] The Band's Danko Struggled To Improve Health, Friends Say Roots-rock bassist/singer, who died Friday, apparently never lost passion for music. Staff Writer Brian Hiatt reports: The Band bassist/singer Rick Danko struggled with a severe weight problem in recent years, and he and those around him feared for his health, friends said Friday (Dec.10). Danko died in his sleep Friday morning in his Woodstock, N.Y., home, and no official cause of death has been announced. But friends said it was no secret that he was not well. "I'm not surprised — it didn't shock me," producer Jim Tullio said of the news of Danko's death. Tullio, who has produced records for folk singers Richie Havens and John Prine, worked with Danko on an aborted solo project in the mid-'90s. Tullio, who last saw Danko last week, when he traveled to Chicago to play two solo concerts, said the singer may have weighed as much as 350 pounds. Singer/songwriter Nicholas Tremulis, whose band backed Danko for the Chicago shows, said Danko's weight problem emerged as he tried to beat a long-standing addiction to heroin. "If anything, his weight gain was due to the [fact] that he was trying to get healthier in that respect," Tremulis said. Tremulis recruited Danko to play a benefit concert for Chicago's Neon Street homeless shelter in March. The event was loosely organized as a tribute to The Band's star-filled 1976 farewell concert and film, "The Last Waltz." Danko sang lead on such Band songs as "Stage Fright" and also can be heard on The Band's signature song "The Weight" . Danko's publicist, Carol Caffin, acknowledged that Danko had gained a great deal of weight in recent years but cautioned against speculation on the cause of his death. "It's very hard. He [was] a beautiful guy ... I don't like to hear negativity," Caffin said. Danko was enjoying life and was excited about his new solo record, Live on Breeze Hill, which was released in September, she said. When Danko spoke with SonicNet Music News from a New York hotel room in September, he was more eager to talk about The Band's future than its past glories. "We're as healthy as we've ever been," he said. But Danko's passing most likely marks the end of The Band as well, Tullio said. "Without Rick, I'd say it's over," he said. Drummer Levon Helm, keyboardist Garth Hudson and guitarist Robbie Robertson are the only surviving original members of The Band, and Robertson hasn't played with the group since 1976, when they first broke up. "I don't think they've thought of it ... I don't know what they're planning to do," Caffin said, noting that she doesn't represent Hudson or Helm. Those who knew Danko described him as a generous, fun-loving man whose passion for music never diminished over the years. "Most people in the music industry are ... cynical and jaded. I never met a man who was less cynical," Tremulis said. "He always had too many people on the guest list — that's the kind of guy that Rick was," Caffin, his publicist for eight years, said. Just this week, Danko completed a U.S. tour in support of his new album, playing his final show Tuesday at the Ark in Ann Arbor, Mich. Performing with keyboardist Aaron Hurwitz, who produced The Band's most recent album, Danko played two sets instead of the one that had been expected, David Siglin, the club's director, said. "He was really into the show," Siglin said. "If he was in really bad health, he was ignoring it completely." Danko planned to donate the proceeds from his album to the environmental charity Greenpeace, and he often supported many other charities in the past, his publicist said. "Music has been really kind to us over the years. It's nice to be able to put something back, instead of just take, take, take," Danko said last year. "It's good that we can give something back, whether it be [for] mental health or child-abuse programs or Parkinson's disease or Down syndrome." Several of Danko's friends couldn't bring themselves to refer to him in the past tense Friday. "There's no one like him," Tremulis said. (Sonic Net Staff Writer Chris Nelson contributed to this report.) Tuesday, December 14, 1999 Paying tribute to Danko 'One of the kindest hearts to have graced this planet' By JIM SLOTEK -- Toronto Sun Funeral services are in Woodstock, N.Y., tomorrow for The Band bassist Rick Danko, who died Friday in his sleep. A Toronto contingent will include Ronnie Hawkins, blues guitarist Colin Linden and his wife, and keyboardist Richard Bell. Bell has filled in with The Band on keyboard on the heels of other tragedies, the suicide of original keyboardist Richard Manuel in 1986 and the heart attack death of Manuel's replacement Stan Szelest in 1991. "Rick (Danko) dealt with more grief than I ever did in my life, and yet he always had a positive attitude," says Linden of his friend, whose drug and alcohol battles often overshadowed his talent. "I feel a bit selfish being so bummed out." Meanwhile, Robbie Robertson released a statement yesterday summing up his loss: "I think Rick was one of the greatest and most soulful singers I've ever heard. Definitely, the most original bass player I've ever heard and one of the kindest hearts to have graced this planet. I feel blessed to have known him and loved him and to have had the opportunity to work with him for all those years. I will sadly miss him."

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