Brent Mydland

Infobox musical artist
Name = PAGENAME


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Brent Mydland
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Born = birth date|1952|10|21|mf=y
Munich, Germany
Died = death date and age|1990|7|26|1952|10|21
Lafayette, California, U.S.
Instrument = Keyboard instruments
Genre = Rock, psychedelic rock, jam
Occupation = Musician, songwriter
Years_active = 1979–1990
Label = Warner Bros.
Arista
Associated_acts = Grateful Dead
URL =

Brent Mydland (October 21, 1952 – July 26, 1990) was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years and, despite being often referred to as "the new guy", he was with the band for a longer time than any other keyboardist, during which time they had their highest charting material.

Biography

Early life

Born in Munich, Germany as the child of a U.S. Army chaplain, Mydland moved to San Francisco, California with his parents at the age of one. Brent spent most of his childhood living in the San Joaquin-Sacramento/Delta's Bethel Island of California. His mother, a graveyard shift nurse, encouraged Brent's talents by insisting that he practice his music for two hours each day. He played trumpet at Oakley Elementary School; his schoolmates remember him practicing on an accordion, as well as the piano, every day after school. Brent graduated from Liberty Union High School in 1971.

Grateful Dead

He joined the Grateful Dead in 1979 after a session with a Bob Weir solo project, and replaced keyboard player Keith Godchaux, who had been dismissed from the band earlier that year. Mydland quickly became an integral part of the group, not least because of his songwriting contributions, of which Godchaux had almost none.

"Go to Heaven" (1980) featured two of Mydland's songs, "Far From Me" and "Easy to Love You", the second of which had been written with frequent Weir collaborator John Perry Barlow. On the next album, "In the Dark" (1987), Mydland co-wrote the defiant favorite "Hell in a Bucket" with Weir and Barlow, and also penned train song "Tons of Steel". "Built to Last" (1989) featured several more of Mydland's works, most notably the moody "Just a Little Light", the environmental song "We Can Run", and the poignant "I Will Take You Home", written with Barlow for his two daughters.

After joining, Mydland easily fit into the band's sound and added his own contributions. His high vocal harmonies and emotional leads added to the band's singing strength, and highlighted several old favorites like "Cassidy", "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo", "Ramble on Rose" as well as covers like Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and the Band's "The Weight". Mydland enjoyed the organ and several other experimental tones, whereas in concert, his predecessor had usually preferred his piano. Brent played several different electric pianos and synthesizers throughout his tenure, including a Fender Rhodes, Yamaha CP-70, and a Kurzweil Midiboard (midied to Roland MKS20). His Hammond B-3 stayed with him throughout his entire tenure.

Death

Mydland died of a drug overdose after taking a speedball at his home on "My Road" in Lafayette, California, on July 26, 1990, shortly after completing the band's summer tour. He was replaced by Vince Welnick on synthesizers and vocals, and, for a short time, temporary fill-in Bruce Hornsby on grand piano and accordion.

Discography with the Grateful Dead

tudio albums

*"Go to Heaven" – 1980
*"In the Dark" – 1987
*"Built to Last" – 1989

Live albums

*"Reckoning" – 1981
*"Dead Set" – 1981
*"Dylan & The Dead" - 1989
*"Without a Net" - 1990

"See also Grateful Dead discography#"Retrospective" live albums for other live releases."

External links

* [http://www.brentmydland.net Brent Mydland tribute page]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6943 Brent Mydland's photo and gravesite]