Rick Danko, Founding Member of The Band, Dies in His Sleep at 56

“I love to play; a stage is a safe place for me to be. It’s not that way for most folks, but I’d be lost without it.”

— Rick Danko

Rick Danko, the soulful vocalist and bass guitarist for the legendary Canadian rock group The Band, was known for his close collaborations with fellow members like Richard Manuel and his later work as a solo artist.

He was instrumental in securing the now-famous “Big Pink” house in West Saugerties, New York—a rural retreat that became The Band’s creative hub. It was there that they began their groundbreaking collaboration with Bob Dylan, laying the foundation for a new chapter in American rock music.

Personal life

Danko married his first wife, Grace Seldner, in 1968. The couple had two children together: a daughter, Lisa, and a son, Eli, born in 1971. After their divorce in 1980, Danko later married Elizabeth Grafton in 1989. He remained with Elizabeth until his death, and together they also raised her son, Justin.

Death

On December 10, 1999, just days after wrapping up a short tour of the Midwest—including two shows near Chicago and a final performance at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan—Danko died in his sleep at his home in Marbletown, New York. He was 56. The cause of death was heart failure.

Burial

Danko’s son Eli, from his first marriage, died in 1989 at age 18 due to asphyxiation after heavy drinking while attending the State University of New York at Albany. When Danko died a decade later, he was buried beside Eli at Woodstock Cemetery in Woodstock, New York. In 2012, fellow Band member Levon Helm was laid to rest next to Danko.