August
22, 2005: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia
By Brother Nature
As 10 years go by, they melt into a dream. So does the last 17 years, since my first Dead show. My life changed, thanks to a couple of friends and the Grateful Dead. My views on life, my health, the path I am walking, are definitely different thanks to Jerry Garcia and the rest of the band. The Grateful Dead weren’t purely the reason – they were the center. All the new friends I gained, fellow Deadheads, all the new acquaintances that may have been only a brief chance meeting, all the places I was able to see that I know I never would have otherwise. They all opened my eyes to a bigger and brighter and happier world that I never knew existed. I would never trade in those days I followed the band across country, the last three years.
The
energy at the shows was spiritual. The Grateful Dead and the music they played
could take you on a journey each and every show, and each journey was different.
They never played the same show. Every set list was different and the anticipation
of what the next song would be was very exciting. Would they bust out a song
they haven’t played in years, or ever before, such as “Unbroken
Chain” on the final tour? Had to go so you wouldn’t miss it. The
band wasn’t always on every night, for every song, but if they weren’t,
they were mighty close. Jerry wasn’t always on, but when he was his
music could take you on an emotional roller coaster every song.
Those days are dearly missed. It has been a long 10 years without those shows, that energy, those highs and lows, that grounding that you could get at the show, arriving at the lot, walking down Shakedown Street, meandering into the venue, finding your friends if you haven’t already, meeting new ones, feeling the energy of anticipation for what is to come, talking about the last show you saw, hearing Phil thump the bass, Jerry do a run up and down the neck of his guitar, a couple symbol crashes, a few notes teasing which song they might open with, the first set, the set break when you can catch your breath, the second set with the same anticipation of what will they play this set, will they open with Help>Slip>Frank or Scarlet>Fire or China>Rider, or something else not expected at all, the encore, one of which my favorites was Gloria, after the show wandering around Shakedown Street looking for a burrito and a cold after-the-show beer, and the anticipation of what the next day and next show would bring. Jerry is most definitely missed, by not just me, but by so many, and so many that never got to experience the wonderful things I got to.
Thanks Jerry.
August 9, 1995: Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia dead at 53
Jerry
Garcia, the 53-year-old guitarist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, died
today at a Northern California residential drug treatment center. The cause,
according to authorities, was a heart attack.
The Grateful Dead blended blues, rock, country and folk music with a dash of the psychedelic sound of the sixties counter-culture that grew out of their home base of San Francisco. Over three decades, the dead became one of the most popular concert draws in the world.
Songs like "Truckin'," "Casey Jones," and "Friend of the Devil" were staples of album rock radio, yet the Grateful Dead only had one top ten hit, "Touch of Gray," in 1987.
Nonetheless, they became a cultural phenomenon and almost a way of life for their fans, known as "Deadheads." Some followed them around the country, and many can boast of seeing hundreds of concerts. As one fan remembered, "You wanted to go to every show because you didn't know what would happen next. The records didn't necessarily convey that, but the live shows did."
A veteran of the psychedelic sixties, Garcia battled drug addiction and later poor health, including diabetes, which culminated in a diabetic coma in 1986. After exhaustion sent him to the hospital in 1991, he stopped smoking and shed some weight with a personal trainer.
The Dead used their global influence to advance environmental concerns like saving the rainforest as well as other charitable causes. As the band's patriarch, Garcia became a larger-than-life figure to his fans. Those close to him knew him as a sensitive man with a spiritual side. As Garcia put it, "I love great art, poetry, all the things that enrich human life are things that I like. Also, there's tons of music that I love. I mean I don't really think I'm gonna be able to get around to everything that I potentially like in this lifetime."
Away from the Grateful Dead, Garcia turned out solo albums and paintings, some of which were re-created in a line of neckties. Onstage, where the Grateful Dead launched extended jams, Garcia's guitar solos sent Deadheads into ecstatic dances and trances. But Garcia remained humble. "I'd like to learn how to play the guitar before I die, yeah, that'd be good."
On July 9 in Chicago, Jerry Garcia played his last concert fronting the Grateful Dead. Will his passing mean the end of the band, as well? The answer remains to be seen, but Garcia's music will live forever in the hearts and souls of his fans.
from CNN, Mark Scheerer