On This Day – Ashes to Ashes Jerry Garcia
Apr 14, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1996 some of Jerry Garcia’s ashes were scattered into the bay by the Golden Gate Bridges, San Francisco. The rest had been scattered into the Ganges river at Rishikesh on 4th April (Rishikesh being a holy place for hindus at the foot of the Himalayas and where the Ganges leaves the mountains and begins it long journey to the sea bringing life to large areas of North Eastern India).
Garcia had died of a heart attack at a drug rehab clinic where he was trying, again, to beat his drug habit. Garcia had well known issues with various drugs over a long period. He also had other health conditions, he had fallen into a diabetic coma in 1986. He also suffered from sleep apnea. Not a well bunny in fact.
Best known for his work with The Grateful Dead Garcia undertook several side projects the low point of which is surely playing pedal steel guitar on “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. (In my book having anything to do with anything by CSN&Y is a career low for anybody). He worked with a whole range of people including Dylan, Warren Zevon, Country Joe McDonald, Ornette Coleman and many, many others.
With The Grateful Dead he played and toured for 30 years (the so called “Endless Tour”). The touring was only punctuated by rests due to ill health and exhaustion. There is a gig count doing the rounds that puts the total Dead gigs at 2,314. No wonder they were occasionally exhausted and resorted to stimulants……….
A phenomenal guitarist and performer.
Tags: bob dylan, Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, rock and blues, sleep apnea
The Dead’s Last Gig
Jul 9, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1995 The Grateful Dead gave their last concert before the death of Jerry Garcia at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Jerry was dead a month later of a heart attack. He was staying ata drug rehab clinic at the time.
Jerry Garcia was, for many, the heart of the band. He was a prodigious talent who started playing guitar when he was 15. He started hi own band (called Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions) and the basis of the Dead began to form. Along the way the band changed their name to The Warlocks and eventually to The Grateful Dead.
Although hugely popular as a live act on the West coast the Dead found themselves hugely in debt to Warners after 3 albums. Their saviour seems so obvious now but at the time was a revelation, a live album. ‘Live/Dead’ featured a 23 minute version of Dark Star and showed the whole world what the band was about.
To many, the epitome of the band was the release of American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. To those who regard themselves as ‘true’ Dead fans there is nothing to compare to the gigs, and albums, whether live or studio were just pale imitations. The Dead tribe was formed.
While the very epitome of hippydom, the Dead were also consistantly one of the highest grossing live acts in the world. Even after JG’s death the music went on, this time in the exelent Dick’s Picks series of albums.
Tags: classic rock, Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, On This Day, real rock and blues, rock music
