You Are the Eyes of the World: Remembering Jerry Garcia, 1942-1995

Remembering Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995), an American musician best known for his lead guitar work and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead. Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader of the group.

One of its founders, Garcia performed with The Grateful Dead for their entire three-decade career (1965–1995). Garcia also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Saunders-Garcia Band with longtime friend Merl Saunders, Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, and Legion of Mary.Garcia co-founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with John Dawson and David Nelson. He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. He was well known by many for his distinctive guitar playing and was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story. Later in life, Garcia was sometimes ill because of his unstable weight, and in 1986 went into a diabetic coma that nearly cost him his life. Although his overall health improved somewhat after that, he also struggled with heroin addiction, and was staying in a California drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in August 1995.

The NY Times front page obituary...

More on the 15th anniversary of the passing of Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia biopic in the works (early years prior to the Grateful Dead)

Jerry Garcia's long, strange trip continues to roll on, as the 15th anniversary of his death will be marked by a Jerry Garcia Tribute Night at the San Francisco Giants' stadium tonight. In addition, Ben and Jerry's ice cream reports that Cherry Garcia continues to be the favorite flavor. More here on the myth and the very cool man.

Video:  Eyes of the World, Winterland, 1974. Jerry and the gang, in the groove.

Fictional Fragments:  And last but not least ---- last year, here at DITHOB, I fictionalized two brief but very real and memorable encounters with Garcia that I had back in the 1970/80s. Meetings with Remarkable Folks:  Fragments from the Gone World