The obituary for former Mastodon guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds – who died tragically in a bike accident on Aug. 20, 2025 – has been posted, providing a heartfelt remembrance of the revered musician earlier than concluding: “A celebration of life can be held in Atlanta at a later date.”
What Brent Hinds’ Obituary Says
Beneath a photograph of Hinds smiling; the dates of his start and loss of life; and a clarification that he was left “within the care of Southern Heritage Funeral Residence & Ceremony,” the Dignity Memorial obituary begins: “William Brent Hinds, acclaimed guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of pioneering steel band Mastodon, handed away on August 20, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 51.”
From there, it specifies that he “ardour for music started early,” when – on the age of 12 – he “requested his dad and mom for a guitar and commenced personal classes, rapidly immersing himself within the craft. . . . His expertise and dedication led him to the Alabama College of Wonderful Arts, the place he studied music and realized to understand a variety of types.”
Hinds’ obituary then particulars how he “moved to Atlanta to pursue his music profession,” finally assembly the opposite members of Mastodon and garnering “1 / 4 century” of “important acclaim.” Facet initiatives comparable to Legend of the Seagullmen and Giraffe Tongue Orchestra are additionally talked about as indicators of his “genre-defying creativity.”
Afterward, Hinds’ “big selection of hobbies and pursuits” are talked about as symbols of his “free-spirited, artistic, and unconventional character.” His knack for being “deeply loyal,” “eccentric,” “humorous” and “filled with power” are additionally famous previous to the obituary mentioning that he’s “survived by” his mom, father, stepmother, stepsister and a number of other different elements of his “prolonged household, pals, and followers.”
Lastly, the obituary stipulates: “In lieu of flowers, donations could also be made to the Alabama College of Wonderful Arts. A celebration of life can be held in Atlanta at a later date.”
You’ll be able to learn Hinds’ full obituary beneath:
William Brent Hinds, acclaimed guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of pioneering steel band Mastodon, handed away on August 20, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 51.
Born on January 16, 1974, in Birmingham, Alabama, Brent’s ardour for music started early. At age 12, he requested his dad and mom for a guitar and commenced personal classes, rapidly immersing himself within the craft. In junior excessive, he shaped his first band, Kil Darling, and carried out all through the Birmingham space. His expertise and dedication led him to the Alabama College of Wonderful Arts, the place he studied music and realized to understand a variety of types.
After graduating from Pelham Excessive College in 1992, Brent moved to Atlanta to pursue his music profession. Whereas working as a carpenter’s apprentice, he turned a fixture within the native music scene. It was there he met Troy Sanders, Invoice Kelliher, and Brann Dailor, forming the band Mastodon that he helped lead for 1 / 4 century.
Brent’s work with Mastodon earned important acclaim, together with a number of Grammy nominations and a Grammy Award for Greatest Metallic Efficiency in 2018. He additionally led and contributed to quite a few aspect initiatives, together with Fiend With out a Face, West Finish Motel, Legend of the Seagullmen, and Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, showcasing his genre-defying creativity.
Brent was a real unique, recognized for mixing nation, bluegrass, and psychedelia into steel. His emotional taking part in and signature choosing approach—formed by his early years of taking part in banjo—impressed numerous musicians and followers. His work on albums like Leviathan, Crack the Skye, and The Hunter is taken into account groundbreaking, with many calling him some of the artistic guitarists of his era.
Past music, Brent had a variety of hobbies and pursuits that mirrored his free-spirited, artistic, and unconventional character. A self-described “wildling,” Brent was a bike fanatic, outdoorsman, and artist. His hobbies included vintage automobiles, looking, fishing, water and snow snowboarding, golf, drawing and portray, cooking, and spending time with household and pals.
Like his music, Brent was complicated, passionate, and fiercely unique. Recognized for his rebellious streak and uncooked honesty, Brent was each unpredictable and deeply loyal. He was eccentric, humorous, and filled with power, with a beneficiant coronary heart beneath the chaos. He lived life on his personal phrases, forsaking a legacy as unforgettable because the music he created.
Brent is survived by his mom, Dean Snyder Campbell; father, Billy Hinds; stepmother Heide Hinds; stepsister, Traci Perry; nephew, Walker Hinds; niece, Lily Hinds; uncle, Donnie Snyder; aunt, Linda Kay Hinds Duke; and lots of cousins, prolonged household, pals, and followers. He was preceded in loss of life by his brother Bradley Ray Hinds, and grandmothers A.B. Snyder and Cornelia G. Hinds.
In lieu of flowers, donations could also be made to the Alabama College of Wonderful Arts. A celebration of life can be held in Atlanta at a later date.
READ MORE: Gavin Rossdale Credit Brent Hinds for Stopping His Xanax Exploration
Extra Particulars About Hinds’ Dying
As Loudwire beforehand coated, Hinds died on Aug. 20, 2025 “in a bike accident within the band’s hometown of Atlanta.” Particularly, he was “using his Harley Davidson when the motive force of a BMW SUV did not yield whereas making a flip, police stated.”
His passing was significantly stunning and tragic not solely due to his larger-than-life character and musical affect, but in addition as a result of it got here throughout a tense time between himself and his former Mastodon bandmates.
After leaving Mastodon again in March, Hinds continued engaged on different initiatives with different individuals whereas Mastodon performed concert events with fill-in guitarist Ben Eller. The band additionally maintained that they and Hinds “mutually determined to half methods,” but earlier than lengthy, Hinds started telling a special story by calling the remaining trio “horrible people” and claiming that drummer Brann Dailor and bassist Troy Sanders are unhealthy singers.
Mastodon nonetheless shared a young assertion about Hinds’ loss of life and honored him throughout their Aug. 22, 2025 present on the Alaska State Truthful. Final week, Loudwire reported on guitarist Invoice Kelliher’s first public feedback (shared by way of his Instagram account) relating to the passing of his former bandmate, too.
Kelliher mirrored:
It’s been onerous to get a grip on my feelings this week. We had our good and unhealthy occasions similar to in any relationship. All that we completed after that first fistfight within the van 25 years in the past. I didn’t suppose you’d be taken from us like this, absolute lack of a real considered one of a form guitar wizard extraordinaire.
maintaining with you taught me loads. You have been a brother, we have been a household, you have been a wild man to not be tamed, you may f*ck up bowling ball with a feather.
You weren’t good however you have been all the time DIRTY-B!! Your vagabond/gypsy/wild youngster lives on by way of your music, I’ll miss your loopy ass Manimal
After all, many different musicians have expressed how a lot Hinds meant to them as properly.
For example, Mastodon’s touring keyboardist – João “Rasta” Nogueira – wrote:
You lived this life in fixed rigidity between the comforts and joys of a profitable music profession and that overwhelming existential despair and we liked you for it, we worshipped you for it, we believed in your artwork as a result of in your raptures we believed you touched fact. . . . Each loss of life is unnatural and yours to me is painful past measure. I like you, Brent.
Elsewhere, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale not too long ago championed Hinds for being ���straight accountable for stopping me on a self sabotage again to the fatally harmful world of Xanax.” Past that, artists comparable to Machine Head, Lamb of God’s Mark Morton, Slash, Shadows Fall and Lacuna Coil have posted tributes to Hinds during the last week-and-a-half.
What are a few of your favourite recollections and moments (musical or in any other case) involving Brent Hinds? Tell us, and within the meantime, try our photograph gallery of Hinds by way of the years!
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Gallery Credit score: Loudwire Workers
