Grant Hart, drummer and co-vocalist of the legendary Minneapolis band Hüsker Dü, has passed away. He was 56 and was known to have been suffering from cancer. As a songwriter Hart helped lay the foundation for what came to be known as the alternative rock sound, taking Hüsker Dü from their roots in the midwestern punk scene to international prominence and influencing a generation of bands after him. After Hüsker Dü fell apart, Hart performed in the band Nova Mob and later released a string of solo LPs, the latest of which was 2013's The Argument. Our deepest condolences go out to Hart's family, friends, and fans.
Bob Mould posted a statement to Facebook about his time with Grant Hart:
It was the Fall of 1978. I was attending Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. One block from my dormitory was a tiny store called Cheapo Records. There was a PA system set up near the front door blaring punk rock. I went inside and ended up hanging out with the only person in the shop. His name was Grant Hart.
The next nine years of my life was spent side-by-side with Grant. We made amazing music together. We (almost) always agreed on how to present our collective work to the world. When we fought about the details, it was because we both cared. The band was our life. It was an amazing decade.
We stopped working together in January 1988. We went on to solo careers, fronting our own bands, finding different ways to tell our individual stories. We stayed in contact over the next 29 years — sometimes peaceful, sometimes difficult, sometimes through go-betweens. For better or worse, that’s how it was, and occasionally that’s what it is when two people care deeply about everything they built together.
The tragic news of Grant’s passing was not unexpected to me. My deepest condolences and thoughts to Grant’s family, friends, and fans around the world.
Grant Hart was a gifted visual artist, a wonderful story teller, and a frighteningly talented musician. Everyone touched by his spirit will always remember.
Godspeed, Grant. I miss you. Be with the angels.