MUSIC HISTORY 101 AUGUST 1, 1942 - Born on this day in San Francisco, California: Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist/songwriter JERRY GARCIA (d. August 9, 1995) One of its founders, Garcia performed with the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career (1965–1995). He 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, Legion of Mary, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage (which Garcia co-founded 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 Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Later in life, Garcia was sometimes ill because of his diabetes, 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 and cocaine addictions, and was staying in a California drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in 1995. Garcias funeral was held on August 12th, at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Belvedere.It was attended by his family, the remaining Grateful Dead members, and their friends, including former basketball player Bill Walton and musician Bob Dylan, and his widow Deborah Koons, who barred Garcias ex-wives from the ceremony. On August 13th, a municipally sanctioned public memorial took place in the Polo Fields of San Franciscos Golden Gate Park, and was attended by about 25,000 people. The crowds produced hundreds of flowers, gifts, images, and even a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace in remembrance. In the Haight, a single white rose was reportedly tied to a tree near the Deads former Ashbury house, where a group of followers gathered to mourn. On April 4, 1996, Bob Weir and Deborah Koons spread half of Garcias cremated ashes into the Ganges River at the holy city of Rishikesh, India, a site sacred to Hindus. Then, according to Garcias last wishes, the other half of his ashes were poured into the San Francisco Bay. Deborah Koons did not allow one of Garcias ex-wives, Carolyn Mountain Girl Garcia, to attend the spreading of the ashes. READ MORE: jerrygarcia/ dead.net/band/jerry-garcia biography/people/jerry-garcia-9306297 rollingstone/music/artists/jerry-garcia/biography https://facebook/jerrygarciaofficial thejerrysite/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Garcia
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 15:13:04 +0000
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