Husker Du Drummer, Singer Grant Hart Dies

Grant Hart, the drummer and vocalist for pioneering indie rock band Husker Du, has died. He was 56.

Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP – Grant Hart
Posing for a photo in Minneapolis.

Ken Shipley, who runs the band’s record label Numero Group, told The Associated Press that Hart died Wednesday of cancer at his home in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Hart formed Husker Du with bassist Greg Norton and guitarist Bob Mould, with whom he shared singing duties, in St. Paul in 1978. The band began as a punk outfit before moving into alternative rock. The trio broke up in 1987 and Hart launched his solo career.

Mould writes on his Facebook page that Hart “was a gifted visual artist, a wonderful story teller, and a frighteningly talented musician.”

A tribute concert honoring Hart took place in Minneapolis in July.