Arguably the most successful touring band of all time, the Grateful Dead was famous as much for its traveling tie-died caravan of “Deadheads” and the accompanying drugs, as it was for its long, improvisational concerts and spotty Since the bands inception in the sixties, Deadheads have happily preserved the hippie ethic of that era- in fashion and have followed the band in Pied Piper fashion around the country, collecting tapes of shows, and enjoying the vintage camaraderie.(ABC, p.1). From 1965 to 1995 Jerry Garcia acted as a prophet by leading hundreds of thousands of fans, young and old, across the nation and overseas. Garcia was not just a singer and guitar player, he was the untouchable God who put inspiration in the lives of people. The playing of a snappy guitar tune with the modest voice of Jerry to back it up has driven these throngs of people to seek a friendship with their surrounding world. He had a way of conveying the fragility of life that somehow really nailed it. When he sang sad songs he had a fire and a fragment of pure joy in his voice, but when he sand happy songs there was always a mystery behind his words. His fans seek freedom, to look beyond the materialism of today, and appreciate what has been given to them from God. The lead singer and reason that Grateful Dead was started is Jerome “Jerry” Garcia. Jerry’s childhood had been steeped in music. His father was a bandleader, proficient with several instruments, who had performed for a living before the Great Depression. Jerry was even named after his fathers favorite composer Jerome Kern. He always loved music, but he never realized it was something he could do (for a living). Jerry had finally picked up the interest to start to play an instrument, so his mother bought him an accordion for his fifteenth birthday, but ...
