On this day in 1952, Brent Mydland was born in Munich, Germany, before moving 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, playin’ in the band from 1979 through 1990 and contributing his unique vocal harmonies and compositions to the band throughout his tenure.
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, and it’s the latter that soundtracks a beautiful montage video, seen below.
Happy birthday, Brent Mydland, we miss you.
Brent Mydland – “Easy To Love You” Tribute
[Video: Tito Garcia]
[Originally published 10/21/17]
The post Celebrate Brent Mydland’s 71st Birthday With This Moving “Easy To Love You” Montage appeared first on L4LM.
