Husker Du’s former drummer and co-songwriter Grant Hart has died at the age of 56.
The news was officially confirmed by Bob Mould on Facebook, where the ex Husker Du vocalist and guitarist paid tribute to Hart.
Mould says: “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.”
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Hart formed Husker Du with Mould and bassist Greg Norton in Minnesota in 1979. Hart also traded vocals vocal duties with Mould and they went on to release six studio albums between 1983 and 1987 before splitting after their tour in support of Warehouse: Songs And Stories.
In 1988, Hart released his solo EP 2541 and subsequently went on to form Nova Mob. They released two studio albums and three EPs between 1991 and 1994 before disbanding. Hart also released four studio albums, his last being The Argument in 2013.
That same year, Gorman Bechard released the documentary Every Everything: The Music, Life & Times of Grant Hart.
It’s believed that Hart had been suffering from cancer.
