Breezes breeze by warmly on a day remembered well
Just removed from Tinley Park, your spot was hot as Hell
A dagger through the heart of time that left a gaping hole
The great gig in the sky recruits another giant soul
Did we know what you were worth before your worth was known?
Gold was piling up and made your bench more like a throne
I cried at home and felt alone with friends and family near
Then once again in Richfield when I realized you’re not here
The style, your smile, the eyes that opened wide as Western Skies
A heart that made each song you sang appear as twice its size
Your voice cut through the music like some shears go through a rag
It came across like broken glass inside a velvet bag
You rode the keys across the scene that you could Blow Away
Easy to Love a Little Light, Hey Jude still screams today
Your end marked the beginning of an end with many ends
Where empty spots appeared in places once reserved for friends
It seems it’s all a party until when it’s really not
The voices of our lives removed with just a little shot…
R.I.P.(Rock In Peace) Brent
Dead To The Core,
Dean Sottile (Pronounced So Tilly)
Picture by Robbi Cohn. You can purchase her incredible pics online at Dead Images
Keep on going, keep on GROWING…
I agree with you completely! I was thrilled to have met Brent a few times. Once we had breakfast together in Jamaica in the hotel restaurant where all the bands were staying for the world music festival in 1982 or so. He mentioned to me that he was aware that many heads didn’t like his voice. I told him that his energy, voice and Hammond chops are the best addition that has happened to the band ever! I am a huge Donna fan too, and wished that she never had left the band, but Brent really provided the spark which catapulted the band to the next quantum level of excellence! I was crushed when I heard he had passed. Why do people do cocaine and heroin or any drug for that matter? I don’t drink, smoke or take any drugs, and life is surreal enough on its own! Peace
That’s funny about him thinking heads didn’t like his voice. I have read that he was the only one with a trained voice. LOL Just never have heard from any head that they didn’t like his voice. Sad.
Nice
Very nice words for a man we all love and miss, I especially liked:
A heart that made each song you sang appear as twice its size.
<3 Brent allways!
25 years?? Those shows at Tinley were the pinnacle of Brent-era Dead – they really had it together, making his leaving all the more baffling. They never recovered, really, did they? Didn’t give themselves the chance, in my opinion. “”Your end marked the beginning of an end with many ends”…astutely put. Our lives are ruled by the law of unintended consequences. Thanks for the heartfelt verse.
Beautiful. Thank you for writing this, and thank you for sharing.
beautiful Dean…. so many good lines and analogies….. I love the title line…
also “did we know what you were worth before your worth was known.”
I don’t think anyone could have predicted the impact his passing would have on the dead, and jerry especially…or his impact on the music…. the scene.. the fans…. he never knew his worth . I tried to tell him how much the fans loved him, but he felt like the “new kid” still ten years in….he thought the fans were all about bobby and jerry…. Thanks Dean… I enjoyed that… <3
I miss you baby,,,,,, RIP Brent
One of the most touching, tear flowing moments of Chicago for me was hearing the cheers for Brent when his photo was up during Attics.
Very nice. Still very sad anniversary for a lot of folks. Having been a Brent era head, I was crushed when he died. Probably more so than when I heard Jerry had passed. Maybe that’s a strange thing to say out loud, but Jerry prepared me for his passing. For two years I had said goodbye to Jerry at the end of shows thinking it may be the last time I saw him, but not so with Brent. His death was unexpected and tragic, brought on by his own hand. From the first time I saw him sing Never Trust a Woman at the Norfolk Scope in 1982 to Just a Little Light at Autzen Stadium in 1990, he touched my soul. Whenever I was screwed over by a girlfriend or felt the sting of a relationship gone bad, or just plain didn’t need love, Brent was there. I loved watching him play, and I loved listening to him sing. I only wish he realized how much his life and talent meant to so many people. Thanks Dean.