In addition to his own musical endeavors, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Robbie Robertson spent years working with his close friend Martin Scorsese on many of the filmmaker’s biggest movies. November will see the publication of Insomnia, a book Robertson wrote prior to his death about their decadeslong creative partnership.
The book is a sequel of sorts to Robertson’s 2016 memoir, Testimony, which ended in 1976 as his group The Band gave their final performance, The Last Waltz, which was documented on film by Scorsese. After both of their marriages failed, Robertson and Scorsese became roommates in the ’70s. The resulting relationship became legendary, not only for its creativity, but for — as the book’s description puts it — its “excess.”
Robertson, whose songwriting was always deeply inspired by film, first collaborated with Scorsese on the music for 1980’s Raging Bull. He then worked variously on either selecting, supervising, composing or creating music for Scorsese films including The King of Comedy, The Color of Money, Shutter Island, The Irishman, The Wolf of Wall Street, Gangs of New York and Casino.
Robertson eventually received a posthumous Oscar nomination for best original score for Scorsese’s 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon, which was dedicated to his memory.
Robertson’s final album, 2019’s Sinematic, featured two songs from The Irishman, including the Van Morrison duet “I Hear You Paint Houses.”
Insomnia will be released Nov. 11.
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