Garth Hudson, the last surviving original member of The Band, has died aged 87.

The Toronto Star report that the multi-instrumentalist "passed away peacefully in his sleep" at a nursing home in Woodstock, New York on Tuesday.

Hudson was born in Ontario, Canada, to musician parents in 1937. He took up piano lessons from a young age and became a classically trained musician.

He played with local outfit the Kapers (prev. the Silhouettes), before joining Ronnie Hawkins' backing group The Hawks - on the condition that he be paid ten dollars a week to give the other members lesson, and that they'd purchase him a Lowrey organ, an instrument Hudson would become synonymous with. The Hawks already consisted of Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, the lineup that would go on to become The Band.

After splitting with Ronnie Hawkins the five-piece were introduced to Bob Dylan in 1965, with whom they recorded his 1966 double LP Blonde On Blonde. Dylan also invited them to perform with him on his then-controversial "electric" tours in the U.S., Australia and Europe.

The Band would go on to become a legendary and highly-influential rock act in their own right, releasing their debut album Music From Big Pink in 1968.

Hudson later performed as a solo artist, sharing his first record The Sea To North in 2001. The following year he teamed up with Flying Burrito Brothers' pedal steel player Sneaky Pete Kleinow to form Burrito Deluxe.

In 1994, Garth Hudson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Band. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2008.