80 years ago today, the late Richard Manuel of the Band was born. Manuel was multi-faceted as he performed as a singer and multi-instrumentalist, pianist, and occasional drummer for the Band. He joined Ronnie Hawkins’s backing group, the Hawks when he was 18 and soon became a member of The Band and sang on their most delicate and soulful songs including “The Shape I’m In,” “Whispering Pines” and “Tears of Rage.” Manuel died of suicide on 3/4/86 in Winter Park, FL. Watch Manuel take on Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me” in this astonishingly soulful rendition live in ’83…
