The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars (132 page)

A bassist who made his name in both blues and rock, the colourfully named Isaac Payton Sweat actually began as a country musician – his father and uncles were well known for playing local hoedowns. ‘Ike’ grew up as rock ‘n’ roll came of age, eschewing the more conventional music of his family to play the new sounds on his banjo and guitar. He met Johnny Winter while they both attended Lamar College, and joined the future rock hero in his band The Crystaliers (later renamed The Coastliners), who became regional favourites. The relationship with Winter lasted through a number of bands, but Sweat was also keen to cut his own solo material – most notably a vocal version of Al Dean’s ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’ seen by many as definitive.

A lack of both further success and business nous – or even decent management – made Isaac Payton Sweat despondent with his lot, and he later returned to the safer shores of country music. After a performance in Houston, Sweat was found dead in the garage of his Richmond home, a gun by his left hand (he was right-handed), but no trace of gunpowder on either, suggesting suicide was unlikely. His death has remained a mystery ever since, as he was known to have neither enemies nor any particular drug dependency.

JULY

Sunday 1

Brent Mydland

(Munich, 21 October 1952)

The Grateful Dead

(Silver)

The history of The Dead – documented throughout
The Encyclopedia
– was already into its middle chapters by the arrival of Brent Mydland. The future keyboardist spent the first few years of his life in Germany, where his military father was stationed, but a move to California was the first step to shaping the young Mydland’s career and lifestyle. As a boy, he was a fine pianist, and got into rock while at school. His first recording stint was at Arista, with his band Silver – a Bay Area trio comprising Mydland (vocals/keyboards), Greg Collier and John Batdorf (both guitar/vocals). This band’s accomplishment saw them open for The Doobie Brothers and Three Dog Night: Grateful Dead guitarist/songwriter Bob Weir liked what he saw and promptly recruited Mydland for some side projects.

It was the dismissal of Keith and Donna Godchaux in 1979 that inducted Brent Mydland into the Dead fold. Little did he know what a precarious position keyboardist within it was to prove: perhaps the name of the first album to which he was to contribute –
Go To Heaven
(1980) – should have offered a clue? But Mydland settled well into the role, even donating his own ‘Far From Me’ to the track listing. Other than relentless performances before hordes of ravenous Deadheads, there was little further activity until
In the Dark
(1987). This commercial hit – the biggest of the band’s lengthy career – crashed them into the singles charts for the only time with ‘Touch Of Grey’ while seducing a whole new generation into the Dead vibe. Finally,
Built To Last
was released in 1989 – a collection that featured many of Mydland’s compositions. But, at what seemed like rebirth, came death: the curse of the keyboardist hit The Dead once again. On return from a tour on the back of the record’s success, Brent Mydland was found dead outside his home in Lafayette, having overdosed on a speedball (a cocaine/heroin cocktail). He left a wife and two daughters, eulogized by the keyboardist on the touching ‘I Will Take You Home’.

Vince Welnick – Mydland’s replacement – managed to stay alive in the risky position until the death of head honcho Jerry Garcia
(
August 1995),
although he, too, has since passed on
(
June 2006).

See also
Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan (
March 1973); Keith Godchaux (
July 1980); Owsley Stanley (
Golden Oldies #130)

Sunday 15

Trouble T-Roy

(Troy Dixon - Mt Vernon, New York, 19 October 1967)

Heavy D & The Boyz

Heavy D & The Boyz were just one among a host of variable ‘nu skool’ rap acts that shifted the genre’s focus to good women and good loving – ie, some distance from what earlier hip-hop exponents had been trying to achieve. Their frontman was the extraordinary but nonetheless likeable Heavy D (Dwight Arrington Myers) – a man who tipped the scales scales at well over 250lbs; The Boyz were dancers Trouble T-Roy and G-Whiz (Glen Parrish) and DJ Eddie F (Edward Ferrell). The first signing to Andre Harrell’s Uptown label, Heavy D and co secured hits with their albums
Livin’ Large
(1987) and
Big Tyme
(1989).

Tragedy struck the quartet after a concert in Indianapolis: indulging in some post-show horseplay with touring companions Kid ‘N’ Play, T-Roy, fell from a balcony while dancing, hit his head and died later in hospital. The Boyz’s platinum release
Peaceful Journey
(1991) was dedicated to their former colleague; T-Roy is also remembered in a number of rap songs, most notably Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s ‘They Reminisce over You ( TROY )’ (1992).

See also
Heavy D (
November 2011)

AUGUST

Thursday 9 Brandon Mitchell

(New York, 1971)

Wrecks-N-Effect