EASY TO LOVE YOU: A Net.Tribute to Brent Mydland
John J. Wood
One year ago today, we lost a brother.
Today marks the first anniversary of the passing of Brent Mydland. To many of
us, he was more than the keyboardist of the Grateful Dead: he was an integral
part of our lives that is now permanently fixed in our memories.
My best advice to all net.heads is to save this file and print it, as this
is an edited, but lengthy, compilation of the events and articles that
chronicled the events of a year ago. This also serves as a reminder of how
vital Brent was to the Grateful Dead -- and to all of us -- for eleven years.
I now officially submit:
** EASY TO LOVE YOU: A Net.Tribute To Brent Mydland
(October 21, 1952 - July 26, 1990) **
====================================================
The following individuals contributed to this net.tribute of the late
Brent Mydland:
Eric Simon (si...@huxtal.bitnet)
Andrew Gallo (ga...@cs.albany.edu)
Mark Moline (ma...@morgana.pubserv.com)
Robert Zimdar (rzimdar%suns...@sdsu.edu)
Arthur Dent
Joseph Krisciunas (kris...@casygoer.crd.ge.com)
Rainbow (rai...@sun.com)
I would also like to thank Shelly Culbertson and Phillip Williams for
their support in this net.tribute.
Submitted with love by John J. Wood
===============================================================================
GRATEFUL DEAD MEMBER FOUND DEAD AT HOME
By Kevin Leary
Brent Mydland, the shy but multitalented keyboard player for the
Grateful Dead for the past 11 years, was found dead in the bedroom
of his Lafayette home yesterday morning.
The cause of the 38-year-old musician's death was not immediately
known and an autopsy is scheduled for today, according to the
Contra Costa County coroner's office.
Sergeant Richard Terry of the coroner's office said Mydland's body
was found by friends who went to visit him at his home on My Road
in the hills north of downtown after they had not been able to reach
him by telephone.
Mydland joined the band in 1979. He was a keyboardist, a composer and
a singer with phenomenally successful Bay Area-base rock group, which
had just returned from a three-week tour that ended Monday in Chicago,
according to the band's spokesman, Dennis McNally.
"He was in a happy, productive, and creative mood," said McNally. "It
was a great tour."
McNally said the other five members of the Grateful Dead were meeting
late yesterday afternoon "to talk, to grieve, and to figure out what
to do next."
McNally said that as a singer, Mydland "had a wonderful, rough, bluesy
textured voice that was wonderful on high harmony. As a keyboardist,
he opened up the whole world of synthesizers, piano and organ to the
Grateful Dead."
Mydland is the third Grateful Dead keyboardist to die. Ron (Pigpen)
McKernan, a founding member, died of liver disease in 1973, and Keith
Godchaux died in an automobile accident in 1980, a year after leaving
the band.
Mydland was born in Munich, Germany, where his father was serving as
a chaplain with the U.S. Army. The family moved to Anitoch when
Mydland was 1 year old. He grew up in the East Bay, attending high
school in Antioch and Concord, where he first became involved in rock
music.
AFter graduating from high school, Mydland floated around California
and made his name as the keyboard player with a band called Silver.
In 1979, he was invited to join the Grateful Dead to replace Godchaux.
During the first few years with the band, Mydland played in the shadow
of the other more famous band members, but in recent years, he had come
on as a stronger presence.
"In the last couple of years, Mydland had written more and more and had
become a much more significant composer," said Blair Jackson, co-publisher
of The Golden Road, a magazine that chronicles the Grateful Dead.
Born in the psychedelic era of the 1960's in San Francisco, the Grateful
Dead became popular for its anti-commercial stance. Although producing
few hit singles, the band has recorded numerous albums and has been
consistently among the top 10 touring acts in the country for the past
25 years.
Its outdoor concerts became legendary for attracting tens of thousands
of dedicated fans -- known as "Deadheads" -- from all across the country.
News of Mydland's death spread quickly through the close knit Deadhead
community, which follows the band's every move. The Grateful Dead Hotline,
which provides information on concert dates and tickets, was besieged
with calls by early afternoon.
Mydland is survived by his wife, Lisa, two daughters and his father,
Dedrik Mydland.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In today's SF Chronicle:
"Mydland's body was released to an East Bay
mortuary in preparations for private memorial
services which will be held early next week
in Contra Costa County.
Grateful Dead spokesman Dennis McNally said
only Mydland's family, the band and close
friends will attend the service. "Recordings
of Brent's music will probably be played at the
memorial," he said.
Mydland's family asked that the band's thousands
of passionate fans, known as "Deadheads", make
memorial donations to the environmental group
Greenpeace, which Mydland supported. One of
his songs, "We can run..." was turned into an
environmentalist video by the Audubon Society.
McNally said that he expects the five members of
the band to carry on the theatrical tradition that
the show must go on and play concerts scheduled for
August 31, Sept.1 & 2 ... after that the band is
scheduled to tour the East Coast." (and Europe,
my addition)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mi...@ratsnest.net.com (Mikey 'Rat' Henderson)
I found this in Tuesday (7-31-90) morning's S.F. Chronicle:
================================================================
The Grateful Dead, whose keyboard player, Brent Mydland, died last
week at the age of 38, won't be cancelling any of it's upcomming shows. The
Dead will plat as a quintet until a replacement for Mydland is found.
"Life must go on." said Dead pulicist Dennis McNally. "My assumption
is the band will play the Labor Day weekend shows at Shoreline as a quintet,
and probably start out its September East Coast tour that way, too.
"They're looking for a sixth man who plays keyboards abd who can sing
harmonies well."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: soft...@practic.UUCP (Software Components Group)
Subject: BRENT'S WILL -S.F. CHRONICLE ARTICLE
Date: 4 Aug 90 20:10:14 GMT
From: "Jed Clear..(8*747-1225, (215)354-1225)" <CL...@trees.dnet.ge.com>
Subject: Shoreline Canceled! But that's not all the message said.
Reply-To: CL...@trees.dnet.ge.com
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 90 15:35:51 GMT
There is a new message as of Aug 6, apparently only on the 415-457-TIKS
number.
This is an atempt at taking dictation from the hotline, any errors can be
attributed to my measly 30 wpm rating (waddya expect from an engineer?).
"The following is a statement from the Band concerning Shoreline:
Dear Deadheads,
Maybe it was some kind of day dream, but we throught we could audition,
select, and rehearse and be ready to start all over again on August 31.
Well we found out differently. Big shoes to fill and we haven't found the
right feet yet. When we play again we want it right to our ears and yours,
so we are canceling the Shoreline shows on August 31st, September 1st and
September 2nd.
Best,
Grateful Dead"
The message is followed by a blurb about refunds info being announced later
folowed by the Fall tour dates starting Sept. 7. Hopefully, this implies
no more cancelations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Jed Clear..(8*747-1225, (215)354-1225)" <CL...@trees.dnet.ge.com>
Subject: News from the HOTLINE / MORE Schedule changes
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 90 12:05:56 GMT
Two new hotline messages in 2 days on the Mail Order Hotline 415-457-TIKS.
The Aug 6th message was: No Shoreline. I posted the details earlier.
The change from the Aug 6th to Aug 7th message is that the ticket sale
dates for Richfield and Philly have been moved back a week to give the band
"breathing room".
Also Shoreline refund info should be available Aug. 10. But call for
yourself, as things seem to be changing daily.
-Pennsylvania Jed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: glambert@pyred (George Lambert)
Subject: Re: Shoreline is CANCELLED, *NOT* postponed...
Date: 10 Aug 90 21:23:20 GMT
Just thought I'd add a few words on this Shoreline subject. I called the
ticket office a couple of days ago and inquired as to whether the band might
delay Shoreline until after MSG and pre-Europe (there is about a month of
space there.)
First off, the woman I spoke to shared my disappointment in the cancellation
because she felt it would be very healing for all concerned. She then said
that they were trying to work out a reschedule of Shoreline, but didn't want
to hold out any false hope because she didn't think it was going to happen :-(.
As of 12:45PM PDT today (Aug 10) the hotlines had not been updated with
refund info.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: tho...@llama.Ingres.COM (Tom Markson)
Subject: Cause of Death Announced
Date: 10 Aug 90 22:00:57 GMT
NPR (national Public radio) announced today that Brent Mydland died of a
drug overdose consisting of morphine and cocaine.
Tom Markson Unix Systems
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Phydeaux <r...@ingres.com>
Subject: BRUCE HORNSBY ON KEYBOARDS???? - Heard it on CNN Headline Gnus...
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 16:05:58 GMT
Just as I was about to drift off to never never land in my hotel last night I
heard the announcer on CNN Headline Gnus announce that Bruce Hornsby would be
joining the band for 5 dates at NYC's Madison Round Garden this fall. They
then said something to the effect of "Hornsby will be replacing the Dead's
Bruce [sic] Mydland who died from a drug overdose last month."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: al...@cambridge.apple.com (Andrew L. M. Shalit)
Subject: When rumors collide
Date: 16 Aug 90 14:15:44 GMT
>From the Boston Globe, August 15:
GRATEFUL DEAD SEEKS NEW PIANO MAN
The Grateful Dead, moving on from the recent drug overdose death of
pianist Brent Mydland, will return to the road next month, but don't
look for them at the Providence Civic Center, where three nights had
been discussed before the band's management nixed them, reportedly
because of fears of ticketless fans clogging the premises [:/(]. The
closest scheduled shows are six concerts set for Madison Square Garden
in New York City. Pianist Bruce Hornsby plans to sit in on five of
those dates--Sept. 15-16 and 18-20. But another pianist must be
hired for the Sept. 14 date and for three-show runs scheduled in
Cleveland (sic) and Philadelphia. A source rules out Merle Saunders
or Tom Constanton (sic), who have worked with the Dead before (sic).
The front-runner may be Pete Sears of the Starship. "The band is
looking at old pals from the Bay area," said spokesman Dennis McNally.
"That's all I can say."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jo...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Catfish John)
Subject: Brent Eulogy in Tiger Beat (that's Rolling Stone to some of you;-)
Date: 18 Aug 90 16:55:26 GMT
Admittedly, it's a nice, respectful eulogy, with a nice black and white
portrait of Brent in the middle of the page. John Barlow makes some
numerous comments as: "He [Brent] was this very sensitive guy who just
absorbed a lot of anguish of the world and didn't have any place to put it.
Basically, he died of rock & roll and a terminal affliction of the heart."
Also, "He [Brent] had a very hard time. Look at it: When he'd been [in the
Dead] for eleven years, he was still 'the new guy'."
There are some comments from Brent based on interviews with Blair Jackson,
such as: "The Grateful Dead is already full of rhythm instruments, so a lot
of times it's better to lay back, let the rhythm happen, and just color it.
A lot of the people kind of put me down for it, but I feel like I'm pretty
much there to color more than paint the picture to start with."
Also, there was some concern and speculation on the net regarding Brent's
marital status. To quote Tiger Beat...
Mydland, who had two young daughters, split up with his wife
late last year and settled with friends in Lafayette. He
reportedly had alcohol problems in the past, and [John] Barlow
would not deny rumors that Mydland was using heroin.
Barlow adds some nice comments to this: "I wouldn't focus on heroin,
particularly. That's like putting it all on the symptom. Life was
kind of a bitch for him. He wasn't unhappy to any greater or lesser extent
than a lot of people in this business. There's just something weird that
happens to you when life gives you everything and you don't think you
deserve it. He felt things way more deeply than most people, and he didn't
have good means for expressing them, except musically. I gotta tell you
that writing songs with him was one of the most wonderful experiences of
my life - it just had a real prodigious flow to it. It was like cracking
a fire hydrant every time we got together."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Marc Rouleau <me...@virginia.edu>
Subject: Chronicle Article -- Vince Welnick Joins the Dead
*******************************************************************
Tubes Keyboardist Joining the Dead
Only a handful of musicians considered
By Joel Selvin
Chronicle Staff Writer
The vacant Grateful Dead keyboard chair will be filed by the
keyboard player for the Tubes, the Chronicle learned yesterday.
Vince Welnick, 39 will make his first appearance as a member of the
Dead on September 7 in Cleveland.
"I woke up one day and I was Dead," Welnick said. "Now I'm Grateful
Vince"
He has been holed up with the group in the Dead's San Rafael
studios since the weekend, franically absorbing the band'd extensive
repertoire. "My only concern right now is learning about 135 songs,"
he said.
"I looked up at Garcia," said Dead drummer Mickey Hart, "and said
'30 down, only 120 to go.'"
A Handful of Tryouts
Welnick was one of only a handful of people to try out for the
position left open when Brent Mydland, the band's keyboardist for the
past 11 years, died from a drug overdose last month. Among the half dozen
keyboardists considered for the post were Pete Sears, formerly of the
Jefferson Starship, Tim Gorman, who has toured with the Who, and T. Lavitz
of the Dixie Dregs.
"They wanded that high (vocal) harmony, and I don't have that kind of
that going for me," said Sears.
Candidates were given tapes of six dead concerts containing more than
80 songs and then invited to informal sessions with the assembled Dead.
"How do you audition someone for the Grateful Dead, open heart surgery?"
chuckled Hart. "They all could play, they were all good. This guy just
jumped on it. He is a solid musician and he doesn't panic when we go out
in the zone. Anyway, we can't sit around forever. This is not Hollywood."
Welnick moved to the bay area from Phoenix 20 years ago with the
Beans, a band that occasionally played Grateful Dead songs. The Beans
were the nucleus of the Tubes, a daring theatrical band that recorded a
procession of albums for A & M and Capitol Records from the mid-'70's
through the early '80's. The dense hard rock of the Tubes was alwas a far
cry from the lacy improvisations of the Dead.
Saw the Dead in the '60's
Welnick remembered catching a couple of 60's shows by the Dead when the
band's original keyboardist, Ron (Pig Pen) McKernan, was still alive. He
hasn't seen the Dead since. Nor was he farmiliar with most of the band's
repertoire.
Welnick most recently toured with Todd Rundgren, who has produced two
albums by the Tubes. Before joining the 11 piece Rundgren band, Welnick
continued to perform with the current skeletal version of the Tubes and
planned to return to that band up until the Dead position came up.
Hornsby Signs on
Bruce Hornsby, already reported as the substitute for the band's
upcoming New York dates, will join the Dead as planned, playing a second
set of keyboards alonside of Welnick for five of the six nights at
Madison Square Garden next month, and for their upcoming European tour.
The Dead will make no official annnouncement, although the group's press
spokesman confirmed the Welnick selection. "They kind of told me to keep
it under my hat," said Welnick, "but I knew it was going to get out. I
was kinda bragging to some people."
I think his wife already went out and bought him some tie-dyed clothes,"
said Tubes drummer Prarie Prince.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is a tribute to Brent which appeared in
Saturday's Quincy, Mass. Patriot Ledger.
Reprinted with the authors permission...
By Chris Cowles
The Patriot Ledger
``Wind and rain, now tell me why, summers fade and
roses die. The answer came, the wind and rain. Golden hills
now filled in grey, summer's leaves are blown away -- and
what remains, the wind and rain...''-- Weather Report Suite
by The Grateful Dead
Brent Mydland's life ended just as it had begun to
bloom. As the keyboardist/singer for the Grateful Dead,
Mydland went from a shy player to one of the sources of the
band's onstage drive and creative energy.
He was the third keyboardist in the band that is
nearing its 25th anniversary of playing it's distinct brand
of good time music, Mydland was found dead Thursday
afternoon in the bedroom of his house in Lafayette, Ca. a
suburb 25 miles east of San Francisco. He was 38. Founding
member Ron ``Pig Pen'' McKernan died in 1973 of liver
disease and was replaced by Keith Godchaux. Godchaux and his
wife, Donna, left the band in 1979 -- he died a year later
in an auto accident.
While Mydland replaced Godchaux in 1979, he was far from
unknown in the Bay Area music scean. He started his career
with the group Batdorf and Rodney was a central member with
the band Silver. Mydland also played in Bobby and the
Midnites -- a splinter band fronted by the Dead's rhythm
guitarist Bob Weir. Mydland also did short stints with
Kokomo and in 1986 while the Dead were taking time off
during guitarist Jerry Garcia's hospitalization, Mydland and
Dead drummer Billy Kreutzmann hooked up with members of
Santana and the Youngbloods for a brief tour as Go Ahead
which played Boston's Channel club that fall.
His early years with the band were spent in the
background as a supporting player but this soon changed.
Go To Heaven released in 1979 featured a pair of Mydland
songs -- ``Far From Me,'' and ``Easy to Love,'' the latter
which the band began playing again on their recent spring
tour for the first time in 10 years.
Ardent fans of the band, known as Deadheads, will best
remember Mydland as a performer. Many times his stage
presance was that of anger that rained fire and brimstone.
His gritty voice melded with driving blues organ and boogie
piano in soulful songs such as ``Never Trust a Woman,''
``Don't Need Love,'' and the rarely played ``Maybe You
Know.'' He provided the groove and power when the Dead
pulled out versions of the Spencer Davis Band rave-up
``Gimme Some Loving,'' the Beatles ``Hey Jude,'' the Meter's
``Pocky Way'' and the wonderfully rocking renditions of
``Devil with a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly.''
More than anything, Mydland was a member of one of the
most unique bands in music today -- he wasn't just another
number in a touring road show -- but an intricate part that
was more like a family than a band.
It was the recent spring tour where Mydland was
probably at his musical best with the band. He had four
songs on the band's 1989 release Built To Last that were co-
written with lyricist John Barlow including ``Blow Away,''
``I Will Take You Home,'' ``Just a Little Light'' and the
environmentally-conscious``We Can Run (But We Can't Hide)''
which was used in a recent Audubon Society video.
Mydland's newer material is not only some of his most
creative but also comes off well on stage. While ``Blow
Away'' had the full-tilt, top to bottom drive, the lilting
``I Will Take You Home,'' a lullaby to his two daughters,
often cradled the crowds in it's beauty.
Mydland was born in Munich, Germany, where his father
was serving as a chaplain with the U.S. Army. The family
moved to California when Mydland was 1 year old. His is
survived by his wife, Lisa, two daughters and his father,
Dedrik Mydland.
********************************************************************************
From: jo...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Catfish John)
Subject: The net.sympathy card
To the Mydlands and the extended Grateful Dead family:
We wish to share our deepest sympathies and condolences with you for this
terrible loss. We will always carry Brent in our hearts. We hope it is of
some comfort that though he no longer walks the Earth, he lives in our
fondest memories and most precious dreams.
May he rest in peace.
Peace & Love,
The Members of the
rec.music.gdead USENET
Community
[NOTE: over 600 names deleted - J.W.]
Messages to the Mydlands and the Grateful Dead family:
================================================================================
My deepest regrets and sympathies to all of you.
Brent was vital part of our lives and brought much happiness into it.
We will miss him and all that he was.
If you need anything, please feel free too call on anyone or all of us.
Love and peace,
Laurae Pearson
Palo Alto, CA
lau...@cisco.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Brent's Survivors:
I feel like my brother has just died. I just feel like crying. I never
thought that I could be so affected by someone I've never met. I truly
loved his singing and keyboard playing. He will be deeply missed by alot
of admirers. May Brent's soul rest in peace.
With much love ...
John Ewing (jo...@midas.wr.tek.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jean Marie Richter
ric...@east.berkeley.EDU
Oakland, California
I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of
Brent Mydland. The Grateful Dead have been an important part of my
life for the past twelve years, and in nearly all of that time
Brent was one of the main reasons I enjoyed the Dead's music so much.
I will never forget how I loved listening to him and watching him play;
watching him become totally absorbed into the giant symbiotic wholeness
that forms when the Dead's music takes off; watching and listening to
his beautiful playing and interplay with the other band members.
Although I never met Brent personally, I feel as if I've lost a member
of my family; and perhaps in some sense I have.
Time passes, the wheel keeps turning, and I imagine that in time a
new face will appear behind the keyboards at Grateful Dead concerts.
I know in my heart, though, that the sparks of emotion and transcendance
that were Brent Mydland's musical and spiritual contribution to the band can
never truly be replaced.
I wish all of you peace in this time of sadness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christopher F Weight
wei...@cs.umass.edu
Alexandria, Virginia
We All Weep.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Chesavage
dches...@ucsd.edu
San Diego
We lost a member of our family yesterday, but the joy that he
brought us is something that will always live. Extending to you our
deepest sympathy at this dark hour -
Dave
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian Blumgart
IBLU...@UMDACC.UMD.EDU
Seabrook, MD
"He brought happiness to alot of people."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon Kiparsky
jkip...@csli.stanford.edu
Portola Valley, CA
:-( May you always have birds to cheer you, flowers to color in the fields
around. We'll miss you, Brent.
-jon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Gross
dgr...@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU
San Luis Obispo, California
Bright is the ring of words
When the right man rings them,
Fair the fall of songs
When the singer sings them.
Still they are carolled and said --
On wings they are carried --
After the singer is dead
And the maker buried
-- Robert Louis Stevenson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark J. Warner
mwa...@ocean.washington.edu
Seattle, WA
As we have shared the joy and love of the music you have given to us, so do we
share your feelings of grief and loss. Peace be with you, Mark Warner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Rossi
jro...@jato.jpl.nasa.gov
Sierra Madre, CA
God Bless You, Brent...I love you, rest peacefully!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter M. Thompson
pet...@ens.prime.com
Douglas, MA
To Friends, Family, and the Band:
I've been listening to Brent's music for the past 11 years or so, and I've
always enjoyed the contributions he brought to the Grateful Dead, his voice,
his keyboards, his energy, and his songs. I first heard "I Will Take You Home"
about the same time my own daughter was born, and it will always have a
special place in my heart. Rest in peace, Brent. You are missed.
Pete Thompson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nathan Tenny
mo...@reed.EDU
Portland, OR
"And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone"
Nathan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byron E. Robyn
b...@vax.ftp.com
Wakefield, MA
Your Husband/Father brought joy, happiness and an element of peace to my
heart and life. That's more than any human can ever hope to accomplish.
I wish you well.
Peace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May his memory serve as a blessing and a reminder of his gifts:
those granted to him and those he shared with us.
Dave Milgram
mil...@ads.com
Los Altos Hills, CA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kent Stewart
kste...@td2cad.intel.com
Santa Clara, CA
"In times of such sorrow and loss, it is doubtful that mere
words can bring much healing or solace. Hopefully, the magic
of Love can do much more. Please know that our Love is with
you, and with Brent, and ever shall be. That cannot be lost
which lives on in the heart. Peace."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peace.
Jason Rusoff
Ruso...@AppleLink.Apple.Com
Palo Alto
Like a steam locomotive
Rollin down the track
He's gone
He's gone
Nuthins gonna bring him back
He's gone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave DiSabatino
ddis...@ads.com
San Francisco, CA
You have my deepest sympathy in this hour of darkness. I consider the greatest
day of my 25 year life to have been spent with Brent and the band. He brought
tremendous joy to me and so many of my friends. I'm sure he rests in
Heaven with the light.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Ensign
da...@cosmos.bellcore.com
Somerset, NJ (Grew up w/ the Dead in Madison, WI)
My first show was the year Brent joined the band. His
vocal and keyboard solos were an integral part of the
jazz and blues that made each concert a special experience.
I'll miss him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel J. Dasaro
d...@eos.arc.nasa.gov
San Francisco, CA (previously Freehold, NJ)
Be consoled that you are not alone in your sorrow.
-dan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Words cannot express what my immediate family and I feel. Brent MADE a
difference. We will always remember his sweet voice and melodic playing.
His lullabies helped us through many long nights with our little ones.
If there was one line we could pass onto Brent now, it would be:
You don't know how easy it is to love you.
Good bye and thank you from the bottom of our hearts-
Mark, Kim, and Matthew Boronkay
boro...@hpedc5.cup.hp.com
San Jose, CA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Fischer
er...@fm1.intel.com
Sacramento, Ca.
Dear Mydland family,
One time when I saw Brent's band, Go Ahead, I was standing
directly in front of him, almost close enough to touch him. I could
hear him so clearly and it had a lasting effect on my impression
of him. At this tiny, intimate venue I think I could hear his unamplified
voice directly, I was so close to him. It just knocked me over. I remember
thinking "my god, I've never heard him sing so sweetly before". His
voice was breathy and beautiful with such sweet phrasing and emotion
that it just stung my heart. He was singing the Perfect Note. I looked
him in the eye and he was totally involved in his music. Brent sang
from his heart and at that moment he reached mine in very direct
communion as he sang so sweetly. I liked him before but after
that I really respected him.
Later, as Bobby came out for his solo thing, Brent apeared at the
back of the tiny hall amongst the audience. He just came out there
to grab a beer and stand around and gab with whatever deadheads wanted
to come up to him. No big ego with this guy.
I don't know much about him personally though I've seen him play maybe
130 times. But I do know that piece of beauty that was in him that
came out when he played. I know the emotion he would allow to come out
into the open for all to see, unafraid and perhaps unable to hold it back.
I know the power of singing I Will Take You Home to my own little girl,
Ellie, at bedtime as I did last night with feeling. I personally know about
losing your daddy at a tender age and my heart goes out to his daughters.
I don't know what I can do for you, Brent, or your little girls. I'll
just think of you when I sing to my daughter so that you'll be there too.
I'll do everything I can to guide and protect her (and her soon to be born
baby sister, Jasmine) in the loving spirit of I Will Take You Home.
I hope you are some place beautiful.
-Eric Fischer
Sacramento, Ca.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roland McGrath
rol...@ai.mit.edu
Berkeley, CA
Deadhead born and bred.
I will always remember the spirit of Brent and his playing, how he fought long
and hard and with relish July 3, 1989, Foxboro, MA, to keep Hey Jude alive.
His voice will never die in our hearts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George and Maureen Lambert
glam...@pyred.pyramid.com
Moss Beach, CA
Thank you Brent...we wish we could bring you back home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adam Berkelhammer
berk...@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Miami, FL
peace
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May your light shine on -
Bill Russell
rus...@nyu.edu
New York, NY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Tetzeli
b.te...@lynx.northeastern.edu
Cambridge, MA
"Brent was the member of the band who first drew the Grateful Dead from the
periphery of my awareness and into the full view of my consciousness.
All the love, sympathy and caring that the group stood for found its
fullest expression in his voice, and through him the Dead found their way
into my heart. I pray earnestly for him and for all of you, knowing
that the sorrow that we feel is only a shadow of your own grief."
"Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest,
I want to lay your head upon your Savior's breast.
I love you, oh, but Jesus loves you the best,
And I bid you goodnight, good night, good night....."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven & Dena Samuels
sam...@psych.stanford.edu
Mtn. View, CA
"listening for the secret, searching for the sound..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Erik C. Sowa
so...@cms1.llnl.gov
Livermore, CA
My four-year-old daughter Karen, a veteran of more than a few shows both
before and after her birth, always enjoyed "I Will Take You Home."
We frequently discussed the fact that Brent wrote this for his daughter(s),
which helped to give my daughter the feeling that the band members were
real people. When we found out about Brent's death, she took it very hard.
She would like to express her sympathy to his children, and wants them
to know that "Brent lives on, in our memories and the music."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Doheny
mah...@rohvm1.bitnet
Upper Darby Pa
Thank You for smiles granted, I never knew just how much I
would miss you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob Pollock
acs_p...@uwrf.bitnet
Roberts, WI
My deepest sympathies for the passing of dear Brent.
May the four winds blow you home again. . .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In these days of hate, violence, greed, and national/international strife,
the music and the philosophy of the Grateful Dead provide a ray of hope.
Their concerts are unlike any other events. You go, share the music and the
time with people you don't even know, but who will give you their food,
their love; whatever you need.
For everything that Brent has done for, and given to, us in his life and his
music, we thank you. Our love and hope goes out to you.
The Dead have always said that the music belongs to us fans, and that each
time the music is heard the magic happens all over again. This truly tells me
that Brent and the rest of the band will be with us forever. So will the love.
David Dittrich, Charlie Peterson, Frank Buysee & Gary Green c/o
ditt...@u.washington.edu
Seattle, WA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sue Overman
sus...@nunki.usc.edu
Santa Ana, CA.
Brent was such an inspiration, we're all going to miss him dearly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey A Bloom
bl...@ee.wpi.edu
Worcester, MA 01609
Brent never knew me, but he has forever changed by life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Finchum
fin...@cn.ecn.purdue.edu
Indianapolis, IN
Hard to believe the man who was so much a part of my first "Space" isn't
here anymore...
-Kurt
"There will never be another one . . . like you . . ." - Jim Morrison
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have indeed lost a member of the closest knit
family I have ever experienced. It will change,
it may go on, but it will never be the same...
dave yee
lam...@maxwell.mmwb.ucsf.edu
San Francisco, CA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cameron Spitzer
cam...@maspar.com
San Jose CA
He took me home too. I'll sure miss him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only in understanding the richness of his soul do we appreciate
our own diminishment upon his death. More than words I can not say,
My sincerest condolences; I will miss him.
Dan Strahs
str...@aecom1.aecom.yu.edu
Bronx, NY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Clark
p...@squid.graphics.cornell.edu
San Francisco/Ithaca, NY
"Once in a while you can get shown the light,
in the strangest of places, if you look at it right."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joel R. Finkel
fin...@sdi.com
Chicago, IL
"May the four winds blow you safely home."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi my name is Sean Krulewitch and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I have
only been following the Dead for a little over a year, but in that time I
have grown to love the band and the music as much as anyone. I grieve for
everyone, most importantly the Mydland family. Brent was loved by many and
he will be missed greatly.
Brent Mydland - Gone but not forgotten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Szilagyi
UCI...@URIACC.BITNET
Cranston, RI
'Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Heaven's door
Just like so many times before.' ...hope the door opened up....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allen J. Baum
ba...@apple.com
Palo Alto, CA
"Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From such an amazing high to a real low in such a short time. I'll
always remember his last shows.
Don Stein
att!ihlpm!stein
Boulder, CO.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Flexo
dfl...@oracle.com
San Francisco, CA
I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the Mydlands and the
beautiful father that has been taken from our extended family. We are all
heartfelt; his originality and spark when he played, and his low-keyed approach
to a life in the public eye has personally touched me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Williams
pwil...@axion.bt.co.uk
Ipswich, Suffolk UK
Elspeth Cusack
e...@fmg.bt.co.uk
Ipswich Suffolk UK
You are the one who can make us all glad
Tho' doing it you break down in tears
Please don't be sad, it was a straight life you had
Couldn't have known you all those years
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All of my personal family and Dead friends wish to extend their regards as
well.
Jesse Evans
Jesse Evans:El Segundo:Xerox.COM
La crescenta, CA
Peace be with all of us. - je
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Kosonocky
k...@demons.siemens.com
Skillman, N.J.
We mourn your loss
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan Mudgett
s...@harvee.uucp
Billerica MA
Eric S. Johansson
e...@harvee.uupc
Billerica MA
The Brentgator on my gatorful Dead jacket has been given a halo. 8'(
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claude Noshpitz
cla...@jupiter.ucsc.edu
"You don't know how easy it was to love you..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emily Mathews
sha...@hpda.hp.com
Palo Alto, California
Brent, you brought us so much, you will be missed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Murari Venkataraman
ven...@walt.cc.utexas.edu
Madras, India
Thank you for taking me home ..... again and again and again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Alan Miller
I have been in the Dead "extended family since 1969. They
and many of the things they have been involed with have made a significant
impact in my life and the life of my wife Mary-Ellen. We have passed this
on to our two children Jesse and Cole. We are all deeply saddened by the loss
of Brent. We rejoice in the contact we had with him through his music. I will
always carry the memory of my childrens faces when we first heard "I will
Take You Home" There was no mistaking the love for his daughters and how
it made me feel about our children! That he had the power to move people
with his music is a gift, my family will always remember and be grateful!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our thoughts and hearts go out to you during this time of need. We all
loved him and he will always be a part of us.
Love and Peace
Debbie and Dan Cummins
deb...@ncd.com
Ben Lomond Ca.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My heart mourns with you, but rejoices in memories of Brent.
With sincere sympathy,
Barb Baggerman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antony Landsman
lan...@unrvax.unr.edu
Carson City, NV
As the wheel turns so do we. Just as spring follows winter, so rebirth
follows death. May the circle continue to turn.
Blessed Be
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Jacob Wood
jo...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
Caledonia, N.Y.
To the friends and family of Brent Mydland & The Grateful Dead:
It is extremely difficult for me to express my feelings, yet like the
Grateful Dead and Brent Mydland always has, I will do my very best.
Brent Mydland was more than a musician in my favorite band. Like the band
members, Deadhead friends, and the Dead organization, Brent was my brother.
I remember the first time I witnessed Brent play "Far From Me", the first
time he bared his heart and soul for me. It propelled the band to play
a stellar rendition, one I will never forget.
There are so many ways that I remember Brent. How he could play "It's All
Over Now" and take complete charge. How he was the glue in the band's
vocal harmonies. How he musically pushed the Grateful Dead to greater
musical heights. I am thankful to have seen Brent for almost 8 years.
The last time I saw Brent perform was July 19, 1990 at the Deer Creek Music
Center in Noblesville, Indiana. It will be a day that is permanently fixed
in my memory. It was my 26th birthday, and alone, I felt honored to share
the same birthdate with the late Keith Godchaeux. Yet, the performances
were so powerful, and Brent was the glue that allowed everybody to shine.
It is a birthday I will always remember.
What I remember most about Brent Mydland was the love he gave us onstage:
the love in his playing. I remember the colors he gave to the band: the
different textures that broke new ground, that blazed new musical frontiers.
I will never forget his heartbreaking rendition of "I Will Take You Home"
at the Philadelphia Spectrum on October 20, 1989: his vocals hit me hard...in
a way I have never been hit before. The last verse stunned me, as Brent held
a high note for an incredible length of time. His heart and his soul were
poured out as I never saw it before, and I thank God I was there to catch
every loving drop.
"Whereever you go, there will be birds to cheer you,
Flowers to collect in the fields around..."
I also remember when Brent performed a very special "Hey Jude" at
the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on March 22, 1990. I was
in ectsasy. Brent took a sad song and he made it better. It wasn't perfect:
yet, that was irrelevant. Like "I Will Take You Home", what counted was his
heart and soul. When Brent sang that last verse, it was an emotional
moment for me.
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad,
Take a sad song and make it better,
Remember to let her under your skin,
Then you begin to make it better, better, better..."
Then he unleashed a primal scream that shook me, then the band lashed into
a great Dear Mr. Fantasy. Again, a moment I will never forget.
Brent, I know you're resting comfortably in Heaven. I know that God has built
a beautiful place for you. And now, I know you're watching over us. There
is pain inside me now when I think of you: however, there are too many great
memories you gave me. When I think of you, I think of a man who gave his heart
and soul every time he played.
I now give my heart and soul to you.
"May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others,
As let others do for you,
May you build a ladder to the stars,
And climb on every rock,
And may you stay...forever young."
I love you, Brent. May you always rest in peace. Always....
John Jacob James Wood
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Valerie Stone
st...@psych.stanford.edu
Palo Alto, CA
I'll always remember Brent's rendition of "Blow Away" at the AIDS
Benefit Concert in May of `89. He went into an intense rap about
"real love": he had everybody with their fists up in the air and
then he said open up your hands, and be open to real love. I had
just come out of a suicidal depression, and he brought the concert to
such a peak of energy and inspiration with that rap that I forgot my
sadness and instead felt like I was glad -- ecstatic -- to be alive.
It was healing. He brought that joy to people all over the world -- very
few people can make that claim at the end of their lives. My deepest
sympathy -- his was a life very well-lived.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to include my sympathies to the friends and family of
Brent Mydland - I wish I could say more, but words fail me now.
Gene W. Lee
GL...@MCCLB0.MED.NYU.EDU
New York City
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry & Amy Grau
u42...@uicvm.cc.uic.edu
Chicago, IL
he comes to your house and he dont stay long,
look around and find one of your family's gone.
death dont have no mercy in this land.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Gallo
ga...@cs.albany.edu
Rotterdam, NY
I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the family of
Brent Mydland on the event of his passing. Having lost
my own father at a young age, I wish to extend a special
message to his children: Your father was loved and
respected by many for his passion and musicianship. I
hope that you will always hold fond memories of him and
remember that as you make your journey through life, you
will never be alone - he will be with you always.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Miller
mcmi...@eokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu
Norman, OK
I am trying so hard to find the right words to express my feelings for you
now. I am so sorry for the loss you have suffered but there is nothing in my
experience that can be comparable to the pain you must be feeling. I can only
imagine the hurt my own family might feel if I were to suddenly leave this
place.
Please know that there is a great community ,largely inspired by Brents
music, that is sending love to you these days. I hope that in some way, you
will feel our shared emotion and that that feeling will provide some warmth
on these cold nights. Please, don't abandon love for the sake of his passing.
Take satisfaction in knowing that life is short and not inherently pleasent,
but you were able to make someone one else happy while he was here. What we
give to one another is passed on, taken with us, so you have surely spread
love in this world and the next by loving Brent and caring for him all these
years. I wish you peace now and you will always have my love.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael I. Schwartz
msch...@mmc.com
Denver, Colorado
I'm expressing condolences also for members of the Chameleon Club of
Cleveland, Ohio, who participate via mailed digests.
We thank Brent for the years of giving to us, his fans, and we'll miss
him dearly. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to his wife Lisa and his
daughters; May the strength of all our love bring you comfort in your
time of deepest pain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STella Calvert
STe...@xanadu.com
Sunnyvale, CA
I can't use words to say what was so special about Brent's work -- but
if you listen to a hot, complex space, and then plunge into the
comfort and coolness of "I Will Take You Home", then you KNOW. And if
not, I cannot tell you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan Bortz,
wet!@cca.ucsf.edu:frobozz
Santa Cruz California
I was always impressed by Brents playing, and, as a keyboard player myself,
know what it's like to try and go out and rip with the band....I thought the
past year was an amazing Brent year, and I remember shouting words of
encourage ment to brent whenever I was close to Brents side.
I think he projected the most soulful energy of all the singers, and was
devastated by the news. The thing that struck me the most powerfully about
Brent was how he was just one of us....Not some superstar rocker, but just
another soul trying to do whats good in the world.
Nothing can replace Brent, but I think what Brent stood for, and what
affected us about Brent, will never leave us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cris Snyder
CESN...@ULKYVX.BITNET
Louisville,Ky.
I would like to say that I only recently was introduced to the Dead, but Brent
immediately took over as my favorite player. My sympathies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Hodgson
Somerset, NJ
All I know is something
like a bird within him sang
All I know he sang a little while
and then flew off...
Farewell, Brent.
Our world is a little sadder for your loss,
but a little richer for having known you.
Something shines around you
and it seems, to my delight,
to give me
just a little sweetness
just a little light
May your light shine on in all of us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed & Betsy McGuigan
edm@jessica. stanford.edu
Palo Alto, CA
The music has
stopped with
A silence seeming
Louder for the swell
of the sound before.
What force has stilled
Your voice? -
Rich, gravelly, strident
Then tender.
I remember first the soft notes -
"I will take you home"
Spilling, twinkling over ther crowd
And we remember
the fear
Of children
In the dark
And "Daddy's loving arms"
We'll always remember
The day the music died.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The right words are hard to find at a time like this, but it is good
to know that we have _many_ brothers and sisters in our "family" that
we can express our sorrow and share our fondest memories of Brent
with. I am still truly devasted, but have to believe that for reasons
unknown to us feeble human beans, he was taken from us to a place
where he is needed more.
Lisa Buono &
Andre Simoes
li...@mpl.ucsd.edu
San Diego, CA
Life goes on within you and without you..." - John Lennon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Cunningham
t...@uk.ac.ed.castle
Edinburgh, Great Briatin
Sleep in the stars
Don't you cry
Dry your eyes
On the wind
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Howland
uucp: {uunet,emory}!rsiatl!eeh
Atlanta, GA.
Goodbye, Brent. And Thanks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even now, I feel numb and washed out. Fragments of memories wash over
like the first show I saw Brent perform in with the Dead in Greensboro NC
not too long after he had joined the band. I got together with both of
the guys I saw that show with this weekend and we played a lot of
rollickin' tunes, but the menlancholy just won't pass that soon.
I share the collective grief and shock -- the Summer tour *just* happened --
how could it be?
Greg Kohlbach
gr...@ecsvax.uncecs.edu
Durham, NC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donita C Thompson
1914 Kensington Drive
Hampton, Virginia 23663
Brent, see you in our next lifetime, luv.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron L. Hoffmeyer
T...@CBNEA.ATT.COM
Columbus, Ohio
I was at a local Grateful Dead concert at Buckeye Lake, Ohio in 1988 with
40,000 other fans. Unfortunately, most of them do not have access to the
net so they cannot add their names to this list (this is the same everywhere
around the country/world). In adding my name to this list, please addend
the letter to include "all the Grateful Dead fans who could not add their
names" (as I am sure they would all like to). Based on concert attendance
and record sales, the list would be too long to manage, but we need to
represent this majority segment of their following. Besides, there are lots
of people here in Columbus who have followed the band more closely than I
and who are grieving considerably.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Brust
brust%v5120....@ccf.nrl.navy.mil
Upper Marlboro, MD
To Brent's family, immediate and extended,
We thank the Lord for giving Brent such a beautiful gift,
We thank Brent for nurturing his gift and sharing it with us,
We thank you for sharing Brent with us.
Love and peace to you, Brent, everyone he touched, and
everyone who missed the bus.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clyde W. Phillips Jr
cw...@ihlpm.att.com
Chicago , Il
Take care living ones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know what to say. The Dead are an integral part of my life, and the
part that Brent played in that, I will sorely miss. So many times, like the
song says, I was a bit confused, and all I had to do was listen to the music
play. Indeed the Dead will continue to inspire us along our journey to spaces
unknown, 'till things we've never seen, seem familiar. The music has brought me
pure experience, experiences beyond the worldly sense, experiences beyond
explaining. All I leave behind me, is only what I found. And oh!, what I've
found. I remember well the times when the boyz would be loosely jamming,
looking further, and then brent would say "Wait a minute baby, 'cause this
place is hot." He set the crowd on fire, yes this place is full of intense
people, intense on one level to have an incredibly fun time, on another level,
intense to bring each other to that spiritual land of the heart of gold band.
Everybody's playin', we're all in this intense scene of beautiful chaos
together. I could always see brent's face, beaming with overflowing energy and
emotion. He played his heart out, he loved every minute of it, he was a
musician. I can only imagine the joy that came from being able to release that
energy into a band like the Grateful Dead. The Dead don't perform, they
celebrate. They celebrate that thing which makes brent's passing so sad. The
Dead celebrate life and all it's diversity and intricasy. Death is the one
part of that diversity which doesn't seem just, especially when it comes so
early and unexpectedly. Alas, in the spirit of the Dead, I feel I must
celebrate that which was the LIFE of Brent. The death of Brent was but the
conclusion of a life that inspired millions of adoring fans to ever-upward
spiraling journeys of ecstasy. His life's mission was to make people happy.
Happy just doesn't do him justice. Enraptured is what we were. To the family
and friends of Brent I want you to know that we all share in the sorrow of
Brent's passing, and wish you peace in this very trying time. I guess I would
like to tell you what helps to lift my spirits. It is of course the music.
The music is beauty, the music is joy, the music is comfort. Please, listen to
those songs of our own. Fare you well, Brent, fare you well, I love you more
than these mere words can tell. Just listen to that river sing sweet songs to
rock your soul. Rest in peace Brent. May Peace, Love, and Heavenly Music be
yours forever,
Peter W. Talmadge Bitnet: ptal...@wesleyan.bitnet
CLASS OF '91: Internet: ptal...@eagle.wesleyan.edu
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Gallagher
u42...@uicvm.uic.edu
LaGrange, IL
Deepest sympathy from all the Deadbeats
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
J. David Kinsley
as0...@bingvma.cc.binghamton.edu
Johnson City,NY
The tears may flow, but the light still shines.
-Stickman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the Mydland family, the Band and family and each and everyone
who loved the man, Brent Mydland, my profound and deepest
sympathies on this day of sorrow. He was a truly a fine and
decent man. When out with his followers, he was a happy fellow.
Bright, cheery and loving. Hugs, kisses and smiles. That's how
I will remember him. The stage and lights but more the off moment.
I remember him best at the Rainforest benefit party, wide grin
stretching ear to ear, just bursting forth from within the
framework of his bearded face. The word, I think, is radient!
May he be remembered by our hearts and souls and left there
to dwell in the house of our loved ones forever....
"His job is to shed light, not to master!!!"
Brian Abramson
3030 Ranch Rd.
W. Melbourne, Fl 32904
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David A. Bentzen
Da...@Phoenix.sch.symbolics.com
Los Angeles, CA
If I knew the way, I would take you home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sean Fahey
y13spf1@niu
Dekalb, IL
"she(he) wasn't built to travel at the speed a rumor flies,
these wheels are bound to jump the tracks before they burn the ties"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Cochran
ste...@numenor.sps.mot.com
Austin, TX
--i will walk alone, by the black muddy river, sing me a song of my own---
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul P. Stevens
pste...@well.sf.ca.us
144 Estates Dr.
Ben Lomond CA, 95005
My heart goes out to Brent's family and to the Grateful Dead family.
I hope you can take some comfort in knowing how much we all loved
Brent. Peace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce E. Shollenberger
alux6!bes
Hamburg, PA
Sincere condolences to the entire family, immediate and abroad.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Henderson
mi...@ratsnest.net.com
Redwood City, CA
We have all lost a brother
and as sad as this may be
Remember all the love and joy
in this wonderful family
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brent,
GO TO HEAVEN!
Dave Couillard
gr8...@cbnews.att.com
hometown: Salem, NH
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles B. (Ben) Cranston
zb...@umd2.umd.edu
Silver Spring, Maryland
The fortune teller makes no choice
*soon you will not hear his voice*
his job was to shed light, not to master...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihor Slabicky
i...@sgfb.ssd.ray.com
Portsmouth, RI
Night has come, o'er the hills
Brother Sun set a long time ago,
Peaceful sleep, with no fears,
God's with us, God is here...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Schechter
Syracuse NY
Mike_Sc...@isr.syr.edu
"May he feel our love and know his soul will be welcomed when it returns"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Hanot
bi...@slew.apl.washington.edu
Seattle, WA
Brent lives on in thousands of collections of his concert performances;
he will not be forgotten.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Wagner
wa...@ann-arbor.cimage.com
Manchester MI
The first Dead show my wife and I were at together, she was pregnant
with our first child, a daugther. Brent played "I Will Take You
Home" coming out of Space. It was a beautiful moment
for us. (Ann Arbor 4-6-89)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Art Campbell
acam...@atexnet.uucp
Arlington, MA
My daughter and I will always think of Brent when we hear his lullaby.
You have our deepest sympathy,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William A. Steele
mu...@bogecnve.bitnet
Barrington, IL
My first concert was his last, and I share in your loss. I would like to thank
Brent for sharing his life with us and giving us the opportunity of enjoying hiswork for the band. I admit I'm new to the band and their music, but the feelingof camaraderie I am feeling with everyone of these people shows me how much his
personality and talents have meant to many and I would just like to add my name to the many people who mourn his loss. You, the Mydland family, and the entire Grateful Dead Community have my condolences on his passing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Gordon
ma...@utig.ig.utexas.edu
Austin, TX, previously Brent's own hometown, Lafayette, Ca
I have been a fan of Brent's since 4/22/79-Spartan Stadium, his first show.
Although we did not know what to expect, it was a great show. Many more good
times were had with Brent after that. Brent was always consistent. Other band
members might have an off night, but I never noticed that with Brent. He
contributed heavily to the band not only with his own songs but also with his
back up singing (what is Black Muddy River going to be like without him?). He
brought much light to the Dead shows. We are terribly sorry that his own light
did not continue longer and wish the best for his family.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's strange how the loss of someone i've never met
could effect me so. Brent's memory and his music
will live on in the hearts of many people, including
myself.
Shawn I McMurdo
uunet!sco!shawn
Santa Cruz, CA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adam Siegel
sie...@binkly.enet.dec.com
Marlboro, MA
Brent will be missed by everyone who ever saw him perform. He never
failed to elicit a huge roar of love and happiness from the crowd whenever
his swelling organ sounds kicked in. He, and his music, was loved by all
deadheads. It won't be the same without him. Please know that your
grief is being shared by the entire deadhead community. My heart goes out
to Brent's family, especially his young daughters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon Roma
ro...@uiuc.edu
Champaign, Illinois
Two Thursdays ago, I was enjoying the hell out of the Deer Creek shows. And
then, just a week later came the stunning news -- so unexpected. It's hard to
deal with seeing someone alive (and well!) one week and dead the next week.
But, you know, death don't have no mercy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nathan Hoover
Tokyo, Japan
nat...@teda.teradyne.com is remembering Brent and
wishing his family strength and peace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really am not able to put my feelings into words. But Brent has always been
there and I am going to miss him a great deal. Peace...
"Goin' where the wind don't blow so strange..."
Pat Robinson
prob...@jove.cs.pdx.edu
Portland, OR
"I must be due some great times, cause now I feel like hell..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope there is some solace in the knowledge that Brent gave me many hours
of happiness, and helped me along the path towards enlightenment. May he
and all he touched find peace.
Steve Biederman
sbied...@pdx.mentor.com
Portland, Oregon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott Moore
!sunybcs!canisius!moore
Buffalo, NY
Thank you, Brent, for all your wonderful music, and the piece of yourself
that you gave to all of us through it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Hoar, Jr.
geor...@apollo.hp.com
Northwood, N.H.
Today what I remember most about Brent, more than that wonderful gift of music
he gave to me, is the clear, bright light that shone from his eyes.
That light pierces my soul,
and strengthens my heart.
That light goes on forever.
Brother John
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marite A. Walsh
mar...@ky.ftp.com
Weston, Massachusetts
My prayers are with all of your family and with you too, Brent.
I will miss you, and thank you for the pleasure you've brought
to all of us. "Give me, just a little sweetness, just a little
light..". God Bless
********************************************************************************
>From a 1983 Grateful Dead Production handed to me at a Ventura show in
1984 (or was it 83) July 4th.
BRENT MYDLAND
Brent Mydland - Born: October 21, 1952, Munich, Germany
"Before my first gig with the band, I asked what
tunes we were going to play, but no one would tell me.
When we got on stage, I realized that nobody knew
what we were going to play ^^^^^^
"I like the looseness of this music, not feeling I
have to do the same thing every time. Rehearsals
take place on stage more than anywhere else. The
tunes are worked up real loose, then its like. 'Okay,
that's pretty much how it goes. Let's leave it a little
rough, and that way we've got something to play with.
We'll tighten it up on stage.' If it gets too tight we'd
sound the same each concert and that's not where
the Dead are coming from. With Dead Heads, you often
see the same folks out there one gig after the next.
"Sometimes we get in each other's way and sometimes
it works out. That's part of the looseness."
c 1983 Grateful Dead Productions
********************************************************************************
The Witch, by Arthur Dent
We first saw her shortly after we had spread our blanket out on the field at
Autzen Stadium, right in front of the soundboard. She was tall, almost 6 feet,
neither thin nor fat, with long, dark hair parted in the middle. She was
wearing a dark blue ankle-length skirt, and a tie-dyed t-shirt. Her eyes were
hidden behind dark sunglasses as she stood next to us, scanning the crowd.
We started talking. She was a little upset because one of the security guards
at the entrance made her pour out her strawberry smoothie, and simultaneously
amused that anyone could consider her drink to be dangerous. She said she was
a local, from Eugene, and was happy to be able to attend a show in her home
town. I realize now in retrospect that she never told us her name. After a
few more minutes of conversation we asked her if she would like to share our
space, and she joined us.
When the Little Feat set started she dipped into her daypack and came up with
a fat joint, and Tricia and I looked at each other and smiled. We had just
finished it off and stood to dance, when two extremely fucked-up individuals
came stumbling into our area. They sported what appeared to be gang tattoos,
and were taking turns drinking out of a half-empty fifth of Jack Daniels. One
of them was thrashing around and yelling hoarsely and inarticulately at the top
of his lungs, while his friend, barechested under a black leather jacket,
grinned and struggled to remain upright. Everyone in the vicinity was appalled
by their obnoxious behavior, but nobody wanted to risk any violence by
confronting them. Eventually, our new friend got upset with them because they
kept bumping into her; she grabbed the guy that was yelling by his shoulders
and said something to him that I didn't hear. He and his friend then left, to
the relief of everyone in the area. The guy next to us told us later that a
friend of his had seen those two guys smoking crack a little earlier.
Several more fat joints appeared from the daypack and were consumed, as Little
Feat finished and the Dead came on. Everything was fine now; everybody dancing
and enjoying the first set, and then Brent started singing Far From Me.
A change came over her during the song. She stopped dancing and stood with her
head cocked, facing the stage, listening intently, as if she couldn't believe
what she was hearing. When the song was over she turned to us, very upset,
tears streaming out from under her dark glasses. Her voice trembling, she
asked: "Why is Brent singing a goodbye song?"
We had no idea what she meant, then. I thought perhaps that she had picked
that moment to get upset over rumors of Brent leaving the band. We hugged her
and told her everything would be all right, but she remained inconsolable.
Later that day, when the show was over, we saw her again as she was driving out
of the parking lot. Her license plate frame read: MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK.
********************************************************************************
By ELISABETH DUNHAM
Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Brent Mydland, keyboard player for
the rock band Grateful Dead, was found dead in his home
Thursday. He was 38.
It was unclear when and how he died, said Sgt. Richard Terry
of the Contra Costa County Coroner's office.
``We lost a brother and we are very devastated,'' said
Grateful Dead spokesman Dennis McNally.
The 1960s counterculture band, known for such hits as
``Casey Jones,'' and ``Truckin','' retains a loyal cult
following today. Fans -- known as ``Deadheads'' and
including people who weren't born when the band first came
to prominence -- follow the group from performance to
performance.
An autopsy on Mydland was scheduled for Friday morning.
Friends apparently went to his home in Lafayette, a suburb
25 miles east of San Francisco, after being unable to
contact Mydland, Terry said. He had returned Tuesday from
New York City after finishing a three-week national tour,
Terry said.
Mydland wrote the well-known Grateful Dead tune ``Far From
Me,'' and more recently co-wrote the environmental ballad
``We Can Run (But We Can't Hide),'' which was used in an
Audubon Society video.
He was also known among fans for his ``I Will Take You
Home,'' a lullaby written for his two daughters.
Mydland was born in Germany to American parents stationed
there with the military and grew up in the San Francisco Bay
area, McNally said.
As a teen-ager, Mydland played with small local rock 'n'
roll bands. He eventually made his name as the keyboard
player with the 1970s rock band Silver.
Mydland joined the Grateful Dead in April 1979 after a stint
with rhythm guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir's side band
Bobby and the Midnights. The band's lead's guitarist is
Jerry Garcia.
He replaced keyboardist Keith Godchaux, who died a year
after leaving the band.
The band's second keyboard player, Ron ``Pig Pen'' McKernan,
died in the early 1970s at the age of 27.
Mydland is survived by his wife, Lisa, and his daughters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From crdgw1!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsk!dickv Tue Jul 31 08:30:15 EDT 1990
From: di...@cbnewsk.att.com (richard.vaughn)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: NY Times Obituary
Here is the obituary for Brent Mydland that appeared in the July 27 edition of
the New York Times.
Dick Vaughn
Brent Mydland, 37, Keyboardist
In Grateful Dead Since 1979, Dies
---------------------------------
by JON PARELES
Brent Mydland, the keyboardist for the rock band Grateful Dead since 1979,
died yesterday at his home in Lafayette, Calif. He was 37 years old.
The cause of death was undetermined. The Contra Costa County coroner's
office said an autopsy would be performed today and the results would be
announced late in the afternoon.
Mr. Mydland joined the Grateful Dead after the departure of his predecessor,
Keith Godchaux, who replaced Ron (Pigpen) McKernan after Mr. McKernan died.
He immediately became an important part of the band's extended, intuitive
improvisations and began contributing songs to the band, among them "Tons of
Steel" and "I Will Take You Home."
"He was instantaneous," said John Barlow, with whom he collaborated on most
of his songs.
"He could take something and turn it into a fully scored, well-thought-out,
harmonically structured masterpiece in about a minute and a half," Mr. Barlow
said in an interview yesterday. "Brent could pick his way through anything
immediately, which meant he had the special requirement it was going to take
to walk into the Dead overnight. He was musically central to the band, but he
was so good at what he did that he was able to become fundamental to everything
that the band was doing musically without it being immediately apparent to the
audience."
Mr. Mydland was born on Oct. 21, 1952, in Munich, West Germany, to an
American military family and grew up in Concord, Calif. He worked with the
group Batdorf and Rodney in the early 1970's, then joined a Los Angeles-based
band called Silver. Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead's rhythm guitarist, hired
Mr. Mydland in 1978 to tour with the Bob Weir Band and its successor, Bobby
and the Midnites. He appears on the Midnites' self-titled album, and joined
the Grateful Dead when Mr. Godchaux left the band in 1979. Mr. Godchaux
died in an auto crash in 1980.
Mr. Mydland appeared on the band's 1980 album "Go to Heaven," which includes
two of his songs, "Far From Me" and "Easy to Love You." He also performed on
the band's two live albums recorded in 1980, "Dead Set" and "Reckoning." The
Grateful Dead did not make another album until 1987's "In the Dark," for which
Mr. Mydland's keyboard parts helped carry the song "Touch of Gray" into the
Top 10.
The band's most recent album, "Built to Last," included Mr. Mydland's
"We Can Run," an ecological song that was made into a video for the Audubon
Society, and "Just a Little Light."
The Grateful Dead, which was founded in 1965, completed a short tour on
Monday. The band's next scheduled performance was to take place Aug. 31 at
Shoreline Amphitheater in Palo Alto, Calif.
Mr. Mydland is survived by his father, Didrik; his sisters, Joanne Nystrom
and Pat Himmel; his wife, Lisa, and his daughters, Jessica and Jennifer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: rai...@sun.com (queen of infinite space)
Subject: Re: Brent Overdose
>From Julie who works for the publicist and has been busy cataloging
all the show tapes, songs, lengths, etc
Brent died of a heroine overdose. Apparently he had quite a
problem for a long time and had successfully (?) gone through
rehab and was really getting it together. Very likely Brent
didn't realize he couldn't do the kind of amounts now that
he was doing when he was more actively using.
The boys are VERY wigged out about this. Bobby has been
crying all day and all night. The band met for a long
time yesterday and are scheduled to meet today.
This may well be the beginning of the end for the band. Mickey
Hart has been wanting to quit the band for some time now. Phil
had also been voicing the same desire until only recently. If
the band doesn't dis-band after this incident and only go on
haitus, it's anticipated that New Year's would be the earliest
they might begin playing again.
Apparently Brent has been separated from his wife a daughters
for some time. It has not yet been decided whether to release
the autopsy report to the public.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Ide
In article <1991Jul26....@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>, jo...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (John J. Wood) writes...
>
>
>One year ago today, we lost a brother.
Nice job, John!!
One point I did want to make was (and the text may have -- I could have missed
it in one of the 2200 lines!) . . .
>"I have intentionally omitted to provide for any person who is an heir of
>mine," the 37-year-old Mydland wrote in the will which was executed March
>12, 1990.
. . . as I recall, it was eventually revealed that this is standard procedure
for a will, especially in the case of a large estate. The proceeds from the
estate go into a trust and the trust administrator distributes them per the
provisions of the trust fund; Brent's trust was set up to provide for his
estranged wife and daughters (at least the daughters). The hard hearted "I have
intentionally omitted to provide" was standard legalese, not a provision unique
to his will. I remember reading that and feeling mighty pissed off at Brent,
but I cooled off a few days later when the newspaper straightened the story out.
Crazy fingers silenced before their time -
Never could reach it,
It just slipped away.
But he tried.
Jamie Ide i...@fragle.dec.com