Grant Vernon Hart (March 18, 1961 – September 13, 2017)[3] was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the punk rock band Hüsker Dü.

After the band's breakup in 1988, he released his first solo album, Intolerance, before forming the alternative rock trio Nova Mob, where he moved to vocals and guitar.

As the co-songwriter of Hüsker Dü, Hart's songs (such as "The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill" and "Turn on the News") received praise from critics and contemporaries.

His choice of lyrical themes, which ranged from teenage alienation in "Standing by the Sea" and the depiction of a murder in "Diane," to playful story-telling in "Books About UFOs," helped to expand the subject matter of hardcore punk.

[7] Hart inherited his brother's drum set and records; he soon began playing in a number of makeshift bands as a teenager.

Hart wrote two songs for 1983's Metal Circus EP, the "perversely sing-along" "Diane" and the "impassioned speed-pop gem" "It's Not Funny Anymore."

Hüsker Dü's more melodic take on hardcore struck a chord with college students, and various tracks from Metal Circus, particularly Hart's "Diane," were put into rotation by dozens of campus radio stations across the US.

[17] In spite of the creative tensions, Hüsker Dü garnered critical acclaim with the release of Zen Arcade and subsequent albums.

In one interview, Hart hinted that SST thought Hüsker Dü were "soft" because they stayed in motels while touring and occasionally wrote happy songs.

[20][21] In 1986, Hüsker Dü became one of the first key bands from the American indie scene to sign with a major label, inking a deal with Warner Bros.

Hart became addicted to heroin following the band's tour behind their major label debut, Candy Apple Grey, in 1986; he was also (incorrectly) diagnosed as HIV-positive in the middle of that year.

[28] In late 1989, he formed a new band, Nova Mob, with Michael Crego on drums, Tom Merkl on bass, and Hart himself taking guitar duties.

The band took their name from the novel Nova Express by William Burroughs; it had previously been used by an unrecorded group featuring the young Julian Cope and Pete Wylie.

On October 21, 2004, he and Mould reunited at the benefit concert for Karl Mueller (bassist for fellow Minneapolis stalwarts Soul Asylum), who was then fighting what would turn out to be a losing battle with cancer.

"[31] In 2008, Hart was one of the guest singers on Lotuk, the third album of Arsenal, a Belgian band combining roots and dance music.

[34] In December 2012, Hart embarked on a short tour of Ireland with a new lineup:[35] Colm O' Herlihy on guitar, Dan Walsh on drums and Simon Dargan on bass.

"[43] Hart died on September 13, 2017, at 9:02 pm, at Fairview University of Minnesota Hospital, of complications from liver cancer and hepatitis C.[44] He was 56 years old.