Who was Garth Hudson’s wife? All about late Maud Hudson as master instrumentalist passes away

Garth Hudson recently passed away on January 21, 2025. He was 87. The legendary musician and the last surviving member of The Band died in his sleep at a nursing home in Woodstock, according to the Toronto Star. However, the exact cause of his death is unknown.

Although he never sang on stage, he was skilled at playing almost any instrument including accordion, clavinet, piccolo, saxophone, melodica, piano, and synthesizer.

Chest Fever, The Weight, This Wheel’s On Fire, Rag Mama Rag, Up on Cripple Creek, Tears of Rage, and When I Paint My Masterpiece are some of his work credits.

The renowned keyboardist married his wife Maud Hudson in 1987. They were together for 35 years until she died in 2022, due to health issues. She was a singer and actress and was known as the “Sister” Maud Hudson.

According to Maud’s Obituary, the couple traveled to many countries and performed together throughout their lives as a musical duo. At the time of her death, she was survived by Hudson, her brothers Larry Dean Kegel and William Bruce Kegel, and a daughter Tami Zoe Hill.

However, Garth Hudson and Maud did not share any children.

Here are further details about Garth Hudson and Maud Hudson’s life.

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Who was Maud Hudson? Exploring details about her life

According to her obituary, Maud Hudson’s birth name was Maud Marie Kegel Hudson. She was born on September 28, 1950, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania to William and Marion Yanzey Kegel.

After spending several years in California, she moved to New York State with her husband, Garth Hudson.

Maud Hudson met Garth in Los Angeles. She is known for performing with her husband for several years. During her career, she collaborated with the likes of Dr. John, Norah Jones, Cyndi Lauper, and Albert Collins, including, The Band, a report in Saving Country Music stated.

While specific film or television credits may not be extensively documented, Maud's contributions as an actress were significant, particularly in live performances where she could fully express her artistic talents.

Before her passing on February 21, 2022, Maud continued to perform with her husband, even when she was wheelchair-bound due to her ailing health. Garth had been a devoted husband to Maud all their life.

According to Depression Magazine,

"Maud sang with such unadorned elegance that it hushed the packed hall."

Maud Hudson and Garth Hudson were equally talented individuals and devoted husband and wife. Garth Hudson was affectionately known as the “Honey Boy” Hudson by his bandmates.

In one of the interviews, reported by Telegraph India, the band's drummer Levon Helm recalled,

"We called Garth 'H.B.' among ourselves. This stood for 'Honey Boy,' because at the end of the day, after the other instruments were put away, Garth was still in the studio sweetening the tracks, stacking up those chords, putting on brass, woodwinds, whatever was needed to make that music sing."

In the later years of his life, Garth Hudson faced financial struggles and declared bankruptcy on more than one occasion, according to CBC News. The outlet further mentioned how a tribute show in California commemorated The Band in 2017, where they praised Hudson for his musical abilities that were “undiminished by time or physical infirmity.”