On this day in 1990, Grateful Dead keyboardist Brent Mydland died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 37.
Born in 1952 in Munich, Germany, Mydland moved at a young age to Antioch, CA and taking up the piano. In April 1979, after Donna Jean and Keith Godchaux left the Grateful Dead, Mydland joined in their place. His time playing in the the band stretched from 1979 through 1990, during which time he contributed unique vocal harmonies to the band’s beloved repertoire and added a few new compositions of his own.
While Mydland was a great musical fit for the Dead, the commitment wrought havoc on his personal life, and he eventually spiraled out of control. On July 26th, 1990, Brent finally succumbed to his fight with addiction and died of an accidental drug overdose.
Listen To Brent Mydland’s Final Grateful Dead Performance, On This Day In 1990
Though the songs rarely get played today, partly due to the difficulty of emulating Brent’s firey vocal style, some of Mydland’s compositions are fan favorites from the latter Grateful Dead era. Tracks like “Just A Little Light”, “Maybe You Know”, “Blow Away”, and the emotional “Easy To Love You” were all written by the keyboardist (alongside longtime Dead lyricist and Bob Weir collaborator John Perry Barlow). The latter soundtracks the moving video montage below.
Happy birthday, Brent Mydland. We miss you.
Brent Mydland – “Easy To Love You” Tribute
[Video: Tito Garcia]
[Originally published 10/21/17]