He joined the Grateful Dead in 1979 after a session with a Bob Weir solo project, and replaced keyboard player Keith Godchaux, who had been dismissed from the band earlier that year. Brent quickly became an integral part of the group, not least because of his songwriting contributions, of which Godchaux had almost none.
1980's Go To Heaven featured two of Brent's songs, Far From Me and Easy To Love You, the second of which had been written with frequent Weir collaborator John Perry Barlow. By 1987's In The Dark, which was the next studio album from the Grateful Dead and would go multi-platinum, he had co-written the defiant favorite Hell In A Bucket with Weir and Barlow, and also penned train song Tons of Steel.
1989's Built To Last featured several more of Brent's works, most notably the moody Just A Little Light and the poignant I Will Take You Home, written with Barlow for his two daughters.
After joining, Brent easily fit in to the band's sound and added his own contributions. His high vocal harmonies and emotional leads gave the band much-needed singing strength, and highlighted several old favorites like Cassidy and covers like Steve Winwood's Dear Mr. Fantasy. Brent also had a much more varied keyboard sound than Keith Godchaux - he enjoyed the organ and several other experimental tones, whereas in concert, Keith usually preferred his piano.
Brent became a much-loved part of the live experience as well, with a warmth and energy onstage that engendered him to legions of Deadheads. Sadly, the 1990 tour would be his last, as he was found dead of an overdose at his home in Lafayette, California on July 26, 1990, shortly after returning from the summer shows. He was just 38 years old.