The Band accident in Texas, Robertson urged the Band to retire from touring, and conceived of a massive "farewell concert" known as "The Last Waltz". Following an October 30th appearance on "Saturday Night Live", the event, including turkey dinner for the audience of 5,000, was held on November 25 (Thanksgiving Day) of 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California, and featured a horn section with arrangements by Allen Toussaint and a stellar list of guests, including Canadian artists Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Two of the guests were fundamental to the Band's existence and growth: Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan.
The Band his days as a member of Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band. The Band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 1989 Juno Awards, where Robertson was reunited with original members Danko and Hudson. With Canadian country rock superstars Blue Rodeo as a back-up band, "Music Express" called the 1989 Juno appearance a symbolic "passing of the torch" from the Band to Blue Rodeo. The Band appeared at Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert in New York City in October 1992, where they performed their version of Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece". In 1993, the group