Deadheads and the Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American psychedelic band, led by frontman, singer, songwriter, guitarist Jerry Garcia (“Jerry Garcia”). The band, formed in 1965, had an unparalleled musical style which comprised a fusion of numerous genre elements including folk music, country, bluegrass, rock, blues, reggae, jazz, psychedelia and space rock (“Grateful Dead”). The band’s devoted fans are affectionately known as Deadheads. In a world where most bands only last a year or two, the Grateful Dead, who disbanded in 1995, have had a significant impact on the American music scene, and the hearts and minds of enthusiasts for over 51 years (Jurgensen). The band, known for its extensive jam sessions, composed of creative musical improvisations, were considered pioneers of the use of wild chord patterns and rhythmic grooves (Kaler). The term psychedelic band was developed from the counterculture movement of the time, where the use of hallucinogenic drugs while listening to the experimental music of Grateful Dead and other similar groups took place (“Grateful Dead”). The band was known for sometimes extending a musical set for as long as four hours. Though the band went through a number of member iterations, the mainstays, in addition to Garcia, were Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart. Other Grateful Dead members of note included Keith and Donna Godchaux, keyboardist and backup singer, respectively, Robert Hunter, writer and lyricist, and Bill Kreutzmann, drummer. 

Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia, the beloved reluctant spokesman for the Grateful Dead, co-founded the band and remained part of the band for its thirty year duration. He has been listed in Rolling Stone magazine, The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, as the number 13 best guitarist ever, arguably just below Kurt Cobain of Nirvana (“The 100 Greatest”). In a homage to his stature as a venerated musical prodigy, Ben and Jerry’s, a well known and loved Vermont ice cream company, created the flavor Cherry Garcia, at the behest of an anonymous suggestion sent in by a Deadhead and fan of Ben and Jerry’s (“Cherry Garcia”). Ben and Jerry ultimately found out who the anonymous poster was and celebrated her great idea. Cherry Garcia is one of the top three best selling ice creams of all time. It was originally composed of whole bing cherries, chocolate chunks and vanilla ice cream, but has been modified to feature cherry ice cream rather than vanilla. 

In 1961, Garcia was in a major car accident where he was ejected from the auto and did not remember exactly what had happened (McNally 1). One of his friends tragically died in the crash. It was at this point that Garcia decided that it was time to get serious with his life, and he began to practice and play the guitar in earnest. During this period he met Robert Hunter, who was to become a long time friend, Garcia collaborator and lyricist for the band (“Robert Hunter”). In 1962, Garcia met Phil Lesh at a party in Menlo Park, Lesh ultimately became the bassist for the Grateful Dead (“Phil Lesh”). The band developed their eclectic style, and over the next thirty years became one of the most beloved musical groups in the world. Their heterogeneous fan base continued to grow, and the Deadheads evolved into some of the most loyal, passionate aficionados any band could ever want. 

Garcia married numerous times, and had three daughters, Heather, Annabelle Walker Garcia and Trixie Garcia. After years of drug abuse and weight gain, Garcia suffered from diabetes, and almost died from a diabetic coma, in 1986 (“Jerry Garcia”). Sadly, Garcia was unable to fully kick the habit, and in the end, he died of a heart attack while recovering in a drug rehabilitation facility in 1995. 

The Grateful Dead’s Robert Hunter 

Robert Hunter, who never appeared on stage with the Deads, was their lyricist for such songs as Dark Star, Friend of the Devil, Truckin, Ripple and Sugar Magnolia, including their comeback hit, Touch of Grey, which was the groups only commercial hit (“Robert Hunter”). Despite his never appearing with the Grateful Dead, when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Hunter was also inducted, which was a first for a non-performing member of a musical group. In 2015, Hunter and Garcia were given the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Award, which he accepted with Garcia’s daughter Trixie (McNally 2). 

The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh 

After the Menlo Park party, Lesh suggested that he record Garcia for a local Berkeley radio station, KPFA (Lesh). The recording turned into a 90 minute feature on the station called The Long Black Veil and Other Ballads: An Evening with Jerry Garcia. The relationship with the KPFA station lasted for many years thereafter. As the Grateful Dead progressed on their musical journey, they went on a relentless series of tours to promote their work (“Phil Lesh”). Robert Hunter was not the only songwriter for the group, Phil Lesh authored numerous songs for the band like Unbroken Chain, Box of Rain, and Pride of Cucamonga. In addition to being the bassist, Lesh also sang tenor, and was a major contributor to their harmonic sound. But in 1974, Lesh suffered vocal chord damage and had to stop singing. After dropping his register to baritone, he was once again able to sing for the band. Lesh married his wife Jill and has two children, Grahame and Brian (Lesh).

Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir

Bob Weir was a guitarist for the band and was an active member from 1964 through 1995. Weir had an unsuccessful academic career, due to undiagnosed dyslexia and got kicked out of Fountain Valley High School (“Bob Weir”). He hung out in the Palo Alto area, spending days at a record store where he met Jerry Garcia, who taught music at the store; Weir spent his nights at a club called Tangent. The Tangent gave Weir the opportunity to watch a wealth of musical creativity in one location, and he had the opportunity to watch the birth of musical legends such as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia (“Bob Weir”).

Garcia encouraged Weir to start a group with Ron "Pigpen" McKernan called the Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions (“Bob Weir”). The group was later renamed the Warlocks which then became the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded, he teamed up with a variety of other instrumentalists, and even came back to record and tour with the Grateful Dead members under the name The Other Ones in 1999 and 2000. Weir married Natascha Müenter in 1999 and has two daughters, Monet and Chloe (“Bob Weir”).

The Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann

Bill Kreutzmann met Jerry Garcia when his father sold a banjo at the music store Jerry worked at (“Bill Kreutzmann”). At the time he played for a local bankd called the Legends. He saw something in Garcia and not too long afterward joined the Warlocks. They played their first show in 1965, just before Kreutzmann’s birthday, so he was forced to use fake IDs to get into bars. Kreutzmann played in all of the groups 3,500 shows. He lives in Hawaii with his wife and two children, Stacy and Justin (“Bill Kreutzmann”).

The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart

After a stint in the Air Force, Hart returned to New York looking for work (“Mickey Hart”). His father, with whom he had an estranged relationship, invited him to come to California to work in his drum shop. While working at the shop he met Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann at the Matrix. Kreutzmann asked Mickey to sit in with the band, and in 1967 Hart joined the group. He became, what was unusual for the time, the bands second drummer. Kreutzmann and Hart’s unique innovations with percussions earned them the nickname the Rhythm Devils. Hart left the group to explore life on his own and released an album entitled Rolling Thunder (“Mickey Hart”). Not too long thereafter he reteamed with the Dead for their album Blues for Allah, and remained with them permanently from that point onward. Hart continued his solo projects, releasing his first album Diga with a group he organized called Diga Rhythm Band. Hart received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, and was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2009 (“Mickey Hart”).

The Grateful Dead’s Keith and Donna Godchaux

In 1971, Godchaux and wife, Donna met Jerry Garcia. Coincidentally, the band was in need of a keyboardist at the time, since Ron "Pigpen" McKernan had become ill (“Keith Godchaux”). Lucky for the couple, they began touring with the Dead in October. Donna became part of the band as well not too long after. When the band took a hiatus in 1975, the Godchaux’s created a self named group and Jerry joined in. The Godchaux’s went on tour when the group got back together, and played in Egypt, in 1978, at the Sphinx. The bands extensive touring and drug use became problematic for the Godchauxs, so they left not too long afterward and created their own band (“Keith Godchaux”). In 1980, Keith Godchaux died in a car accident, in Marin County, California. 

Grateful Dead and Drug Use

The Grateful Dead were known for their drug abuse, while many of the Deadheads were at a minimum 420 supporters, literally or figuratively (“Jerry Garcia”). Yet Bob Weir says that it is not correct. He acknowledges that there were drugs in their past, but the drugs were not what they were about (Shire). One wonders, at least for a moment, if he is attempting to protect their legacy, or if the years of secondary smoke had impaired his judgment. Weir said, “We were about exploration, adventure—harmonic and rhythmic and melodic and more . . . Adventures in storytelling, because any artist of any stripe is first and foremost a storyteller. You do it with your hands, your voice, but you’re doing it with a story” (Shire). Perhaps this was the new story of the Grateful Dead’s drug legacy. Was Owsley Stanley, their alleged LSD dealer, supplier to the world, just a figment of the imagination (Pisani)?

The Deadheads

The Deadheads are a collective bunch of Grateful Dead enthusiasts (Goehner and Aneja). It is not precisely clear how the terminology evolved, but likely it was simply related to the group’s name. Deadheads are a prodigious collection of heterogeneous contrasts, like Chef Mario Batali, former Vice President Al Gore, Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, musician Carlos Santana, comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, politician Nancy Pelosi, and conservative social and political commentator Ann Coulter. Do any of these names have anything in common, absolutely not! Well, nothing other than the fact that they are avowed, card carrying Deadheads (Goehner and Aneja). 

Deadheads are seen as fans with unbridled loyalty to Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, even more so than fans of Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones or the Beatles (Goehner and Aneja). There was a time when a component of this fan club would actually follow the group around from site to tour site, just to be a part of what they loved so much. The community is said to even have its own code and slang. There are few things that have lasted for over fifty years, and the Grateful Dead have created a legacy for the ages (Jurgensen). They even made the Deadheads happier than they could have even been by reuniting 20 years after their final concert (Myint).

Works Cited

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