In 1960 Hart dropped out of high school to join the air force. After his discharge in 1965, he was invited by his long estranged father to come work in his Bay Area drum store.
When Count Basie's Big performed at the Fillmore Auditorium in 1967 Hart attended to check out Basie's ace drummer Sonny Payne. At the show, he was introduced to the Dead's drummer Bill Kreutzman. The two quickly became friends.
Shortly after this, Kreutzman invited Hart to sit in with the Grateful Dead on September 29, 1967. A legendary "Alligator">"Caution" jam that reportedly lasted two hours ensued. After the show, Hart was invited to join the Dead as their second drummer.
Along the way, Hart recommended his father to the band as their business manager. When Lenny was caught embezzling receipts in 1970, Hart decided to take a leave of absence in 1971, though no one in the band held him responsible in any way.
Hart gradually came back into the Dead's performance and recording ensemble, appearing at the final show at Winterland before the band took a hiatus in October 1974.
On performing with the Dead, Hart said: "We're creating something from nothing just for that night. When the music stops, they go, we go but it was created for us: whoever was there. It was a certain interaction that created that thing. That's why the Deadheads take this so personally because it's their invention as well as ours. And we created something very unique, never to happen again. That's a great work of art. Sometimes when we play good and they happen to be there and it all happens and we all start heating up - it's magic. They call it magic but it's really a coming together of souls trying to raise consciousness and try to have fun in this not so fun world. It's an important ingredient in the make-up of the youth of America: the ability to have fun without hurting themselves or other people and having deep fun. To throw themselves totally into what they're doing and not worry about getting busted, not worry about someone stepping on their face. Let themselves go so they can fly, so their imagination can soar. There are very few places where you can do that. We're having a conversation. The Grateful Dead is a thirty-year-old conversation."
This page was last modified on 4/16/98
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