Singer and keyboard player Bruce Hornsby turns 69 today. The Williamsburg, VA native struck major success with his chart-topping hit “The Way It Is” in 1986 with his band The Range and went go on to win the Grammy Award for “Best New Artist” with the group in 1987. Hornsby would continue to churn out more hits with “Mandolin Rain” in addition to co-writing and playing piano on Don Henley‘s 1989 track, “The End Of Innocence”, playing on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Grammy-winning 1990 bluegrass reworking of “The Valley Road”, and contributing to Bonnie Raitt’s hit “I Can’t Make You Love Me” in 1991.
Hornsby also shares the rare privilege of having played keyboards in the Grateful Dead, even delivering the band’s induction speech at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994. From 1988 until Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995, Hornsby played more than 100 shows with the Dead, particularly after the death of keyboardist Brent Mydland in 1990. Though the Dead’s full-time keyboard spot was eventually filled by Vince Welnick, Hornsby would continue to sit in on occasion. In 2015, he played with the remaining members of the Dead at the Fare Thee Well shows in Santa Clara and Chicago.
Related: Bruce Hornsby Covers Dinosaur Jr.’s “Feel The Pain” For Jagjaguwar Compilation [Listen]
In honor of Hornsby’s 69th birthday today, check out this performance by Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers during their 1998 residency at Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA with very special guests Steve Kimock and Phil Lesh joining Hornsby during the latter half of the set for renditions of the Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias”, “Loser”, and “Tennessee Jed”.
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers – Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA – 11/6/98 (Part One)
[Video: Thephilmor]
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers – Yoshi’s – Oakland, CA – 11/6/98 (Part Two)
[Video: Thephilmor]
Setlist: Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers | Yoshi’s | Oakland, CA | 11/6/98
Set: Boo Radley, Look Out Any Window, Fortunate Son, King Of The Hill > (Baby Hold On To Me) > (Mountain Jam) > (Surry With A Fringe On Top) > King Of The Hill, Scarlet Begonias*, Rainbow’s Cadillac*, Loser*, Tennessee Jed*
* With Steve Kimock & Phil Lesh
[Originally published 11/23/17]
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