WINTER PARK, Fla. -- Richard Manuel, 42, the pianist for the rock group The Band, was found hanged March 4 in a bathroom at a motel here. Police said that the death was an apparent suicide but that the motive was unknown.
The Band, which was best known for its work with Bob Dylan in the 1960s, played two sold-out performances Monday night at the Cheek to Cheek Lounge at the Villa Nova Restaurant, next to the motel where Mr. Manuel died. It performed last week in West Palm Beach, Miami and St. Petersburg.
Mr. Manuel was a native of Stratford, Ontario. Other members of The Band were fellow Canadians Jamie (Robbie) Robertson, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko and Arkansas native Levon Helm. Before associating with Dylan, who collaborated with them on the albums "Music from Big Pink" and "The Basement Tapes," they toured as a backup group for Ronnie Hawkins.
The group started in Toronto in the late 1950s and disbanded in 1978. a record and film of their final concert, "The Last Waltz." The group reunited recently with guitarist Jimmy Wieder replacing Robertson, who now works in film.
In addition to "The Last Waltz," The Band's albums included "Moondog Matinee" in 1973 and "Northern Lights -- Southern Cross" in 1975. Notable singles included "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Rag Mama Rag."
