US
11 MIN READ TIME
INTERVIEW

Jim Weider

Woodstock native Jim Weider got a chance to prove his mettle in the mid-80s when he stepped up to replace Robbie Robertson in The Band. Here, he tells us his story – and how a ’52 Tele came along for the ride Words Andrew Daly
PHOTO BY AL PEREIRA/GETTY IMAGES

After moving from Woodstock to Santa Barbara to Nashville, then to Atlanta and back to Woodstock again, few things in Jim Weider’s life were stable but for his beloved ’52 Fender Telecaster. He was something of a rover – a nomad, if you will. Even though he could play with the best, Weider could never make a gig stick.

But that all changed when his old pals from The Band –whom Weider had befriended in Woodstock, New York, back in the 60s –came calling in 1985 with an invitation. Not just any old invitation but one to join a rebooted version of The Band as Robbie Robertson’s replacement.

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Guitarist
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