American keyboardist,
songwriter and singer (1952–1990)
Brent Mydland
Brent Mydland in 1987
Background information
Born
(1952-10-21)October 21, 1952[1] Munich, West Germany
Origin
Concord, California, U.S.
Died
July 26, 1990(1990-07-26) (aged 37)[2] Lafayette, California, U.S.
Genres
Rock
jam
blues
gospel
country
boogie woogie
psychedelia
Occupation(s)
Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)
Keyboards, vocals
Years active
1971–1990
Labels
Warner Bros. Arista
Musical artist
Brent Mydland (October 21, 1952 – July 26, 1990) was an American keyboardist, song writer and singer. He was a member of the rock band The Grateful Dead from 1979 to 1990, a longer tenure than any other keyboardist in the band.
Growing up in Concord, California, Mydland took up music while in elementary school.[3] After graduation, he played with a number of bands and recorded one album with Silver before joining Bobby and the Midnites with Bob Weir and jazz veterans Billy Cobham and Alphonso Johnson. This led to an invitation to join the Dead in 1979, replacing Keith Godchaux who had decided to leave. Mydland quickly became an important member in the Dead, using a variety of keyboards including Hammond organ and various synthesizers and singing regularly. He wrote several songs on the band's studio albums released while he was a member.
After a tour in the early summer 1990, Mydland died of an accidental drug overdose.
^Hollow, Michele (2009). Grateful Dead: What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been. Enslow Publishers, Inc. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-7660-3028-2.
^Talevski, Nick (2010). Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 454. ISBN 978-0-85712-117-2.
^"Brent Mydland". Pasco County Library System. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
BrentMydland (October 21, 1952 – July 26, 1990) was an American keyboardist, song writer and singer. He was a member of the rock band The Grateful Dead...
vocals from 1971 to 1979), Donna Godchaux (vocals from 1972 to 1979), BrentMydland (keyboards and vocals from 1979 to 1990), and Vince Welnick (keyboards...
Mydland is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: BrentMydland (1952–1990), American keyboardist and singer Gordon Mydland (1922–2022), American...
1980, on Arista Records. It is the band's first album with keyboardist BrentMydland. Go to Heaven was both the third Grateful Dead studio album in a row...
BrentMydland, who has four song credits, all of which are in collaboration with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow. This mirrored accurately Mydland's increasing...
Murphy, Jr. on bass. Kokomo and Go Ahead featured Dead keyboardist BrentMydland, David Margen played bass for Kokomo as well as Go Ahead. Kevin Russell...
largely relinquished singing high parts to Donna Godchaux (and thence BrentMydland and Vince Welnick) in 1974 due to vocal cord damage from improper singing...
performed with Phil Lesh and Friends. While performing, he commonly uses BrentMydland's Hammond B3 organ. He performed with The Other Ones during the band's...
Clifton Hanger is a reference to keyboardist BrentMydland, who used the alias for hotel registration. Mydland died before the album's release. The album...
Grateful Dead keyboardist BrentMydland in July 1990, Hornsby played piano (and frequently accordion) at many gigs. Mydland's place was filled in September...
anymore...and we mutually decided we'd leave." Keyboardist/vocalist BrentMydland (who shared Godchaux's suburban East Bay background) had been groomed...
the band in February 1979. With the addition of keyboardist/vocalist BrentMydland that year amid the ongoing coalescence of the Deadhead subculture, the...
Prayer, on Relix Records. In 1978 he fronted the Bob Weir Band with BrentMydland, who joined the Grateful Dead the following year. In 1980 he formed...
1988, Ligertwood was a member of Go Ahead with Bill Kreutzmann and BrentMydland. During 2000, he toured with World Classic Rockers. He sang on a cover...
Heart of Gold Band, Donna Jean Godchaux Band, Dark Star Orchestra BrentMydland Active: April 22, 1979 – July 23, 1990 Instruments: Keyboards, backing...
played and recorded with Todd Rundgren. When Grateful Dead keyboardist BrentMydland died of a drug overdose on July 26, 1990, the band began auditioning...
Global Information