Brent Hinds, a founding member and former guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning band Mastodon, has died at age 51 following a motorcycle accident in southeast Atlanta. Atlanta News First confirmed the news on Thursday.
Brent Hinds Dies at 51 After Motorcycle Crash
Hinds, who co-founded the influential metal band 25 years ago, was in a collision Wednesday night at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Boulevard. According to a police report, his Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a BMW SUV after the driver of the SUV allegedly “failed to yield while making a turn.”
“We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident. We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many. Our hearts are with Brent’s family, friends, and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect ” – Mastodon
Mastodon
Hinds parted ways with Mastodon in March, a band he helped lead to critical acclaim and commercial success with his distinctive guitar work and vocals.
The news of his death has sent shockwaves through the music community. This is a developing story, and more details will be released as they become available. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this tragic time.
Mastodon’s Brann Dailor Pays Tribute to Brent Hinds at Alaska Concert
At the conclusion of Mastodon’s performance at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Alaska, on August 22, drummer Brann Dailor stepped forward to deliver an emotional tribute to their bandmate. Dailor announced the tragic death of guitarist Brent Hinds.
“We lost somebody very special to us yesterday,” Dailor began. “Brent Hinds, 25 years with us as our guitar player, one of the most creative, beautiful people that we’ve ever come across in this world, tragically left us. Very, very unfortunate. We loved him so, so, so very much. And we had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship… we were brothers to the end. And we really loved each other and we made a lot, a lot of very beautiful music together. And I think that that’s gonna stand the test of time, evidenced by you people here tonight.”
Dailor explained that the band would continue to play Hinds’ music, reflecting on their shared history. “We formed this band together and traveled the world together, slept in a van together, laid our heads down on beds of f—ing kitty litter, got way too drunk to remember anything the next day about a thousand, million times over and over again with the love that we shared and the beauty, all the audiences that we played, for all the stages we stepped on.”
Visibly emotional, he continued, “We’re just at a loss for words. We’re absolutely devastated and crushed to lose him and to be able to never have him back again. But you guys made it okay for us to come on stage and do this tonight. So that was for f—ing Brent, okay?! Thank you guys so much. We will see you real soon. Okay? I’m gonna give you guys some f—ing pieces of wood, okay? We love you.”
Dailor concluded by thanking the crowd for their support, noting the show was a significant milestone for the band. “Thank you, Alaska, for having us. It’s the 50th state for us to cross off of our bucket list. So thank you for the amazing milestone and thank you for helping us get through that one. It was f—ing tough for us, but you guys are f—ing amazing, so thank you, thank you, thank you once again. We’ll see you real soon, okay?! We love you, we love you, love you, love you so much. Good night.”
