Jerry on Brent’s passing. This is from a Rolling Stone interview.
Getting back to Brent, did you see his death coming?
Yeah, as a matter of fact we did. About six or eight months earlier, he OD’d and had to go to the hospital, and they just saved his ass. Then he went through lots of counseling and stuff. But I think there was a situation coming up where he was going to have to go to jail. He was going to have to spend like three weeks in jail, for driving under the influence or one of those things, and it’s like he was willing to die just to avoid that.
Brent was not a real happy person. And he wasn’t like a total drug person. He was the kind of guy that went out occasionally and binged. And that’s probably what killed him. Sometimes it was alcohol, and sometimes it was other stuff. When he would do that, he was one of those classic cases of a guy whose personality would change entirely, and he would just go completely out of control.
You think, “What could I have done to save this guy?” But as you go through life, people die away from you, and you have no choice but to rise to the highest level and look at it from that point of view, because everything else is really painful. And we’re old enough now where we’ve had a lot of people die out from under us. I mean, [artist] Rick Griffin just died.
I went to Spartan Stadium that day with my little brother (speaking of people who died) and it was and remains one of the most amazing days and best concerts ever.
>>>Did you guys know keith and donna were out of the band before the show<<<
Yes, that had been announced right after their last show in February, and we knew the replacement was some guy named Brent who had played with Bob.
In fact, I was at a Buddy Rich concert a couple of weeks after the last Keith & Donna show, which no one knew at the time was their last show, and a guy told me that he had just heard the Grateful Dead were breaking up. That was before the internet and I was a little worried for a while until I heard they were just replacing the keyboard player.
I think it was Garcia who was quoted before the San Jose show as saying the band had been feeling a different sound coming and they were excited to see what that would be about. So were we.
I didn't think they sounded that much different that day, but I was immediately happy with the addition of the organ.
BTW, that San Jose show was also the first show for The Beast as it existed for years after, with that half-round set of drums hanging behind the band. I think that was the first show for the Beam as well, but I might be mistaken about that.
Also, Jerry was rolling with Merl again playing Reconstruction shows around the same period. ..after playing with Keith and Donna since 76, they were out of his solo band too.
I wonder if they considered Merl to replace Keith?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: g-reg
San Jose
San Jose
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1979-04-22.aud.severson.minches.91346.f...
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1979-04-22..s2.sbd.munder.9424.sbeok.shnf
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
I was there. My buddy took
I was there. A rainy day, with Greg Kihn & The Charlie Daniels Band opening the show.
My buddy took this shot, but I was standing right next to him...
Here's another good Ed Perlstein shot...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
Brent's arm sore from Jerry
Brent's arm's sore from Jerry beating him arm wrestling again.
Don't let that belly fool ya.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: I rang a silent bell
Jerry on Brent’s passing.
Jerry on Brent’s passing. This is from a Rolling Stone interview.
Getting back to Brent, did you see his death coming?
Yeah, as a matter of fact we did. About six or eight months earlier, he OD’d and had to go to the hospital, and they just saved his ass. Then he went through lots of counseling and stuff. But I think there was a situation coming up where he was going to have to go to jail. He was going to have to spend like three weeks in jail, for driving under the influence or one of those things, and it’s like he was willing to die just to avoid that.
Brent was not a real happy person. And he wasn’t like a total drug person. He was the kind of guy that went out occasionally and binged. And that’s probably what killed him. Sometimes it was alcohol, and sometimes it was other stuff. When he would do that, he was one of those classic cases of a guy whose personality would change entirely, and he would just go completely out of control.
You think, “What could I have done to save this guy?” But as you go through life, people die away from you, and you have no choice but to rise to the highest level and look at it from that point of view, because everything else is really painful. And we’re old enough now where we’ve had a lot of people die out from under us. I mean, [artist] Rick Griffin just died.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Roarshock
I went to Spartan Stadium
I went to Spartan Stadium that day with my little brother (speaking of people who died) and it was and remains one of the most amazing days and best concerts ever.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: g-reg
Sweet pic Lance
Sweet pic Lance
Did you guys know keith and donna were out of the band before the show?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
Hats off to ya'll. I was a
Hats off to ya'll. I was a couple of years later.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
>>>Did you guys know keith
>>>Did you guys know keith and donna were out of the band before the show<<<
Yes, that had been announced right after their last show in February, and we knew the replacement was some guy named Brent who had played with Bob.
In fact, I was at a Buddy Rich concert a couple of weeks after the last Keith & Donna show, which no one knew at the time was their last show, and a guy told me that he had just heard the Grateful Dead were breaking up. That was before the internet and I was a little worried for a while until I heard they were just replacing the keyboard player.
I think it was Garcia who was quoted before the San Jose show as saying the band had been feeling a different sound coming and they were excited to see what that would be about. So were we.
I didn't think they sounded that much different that day, but I was immediately happy with the addition of the organ.
BTW, that San Jose show was also the first show for The Beast as it existed for years after, with that half-round set of drums hanging behind the band. I think that was the first show for the Beam as well, but I might be mistaken about that.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: g-reg
iinteresting stuff lance.
iinteresting stuff lance.
Also, Jerry was rolling with Merl again playing Reconstruction shows around the same period. ..after playing with Keith and Donna since 76, they were out of his solo band too.
I wonder if they considered Merl to replace Keith?