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Jerome John "Jerry" García (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was famous as the lead guitarist and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead; however, his extensive career involved many other projects. Named after composer Jerome Kern, Garcia started on the banjo and piano, moved onto the guitar, and eventually became a master on many stringed instruments, despite the accidental amputation —by his brother Clifford ("Tiff")—of his right middle finger just below the first knuckle at age four, while Tiff was chopping wood.

Early years

García was born in Oakland, California, United States. Though he had a keen and insightful mind, García dropped out of Balboa High School and enlisted in the United States Army on April 12, 1960. After completing Basic Training and Service School Training as an auto maintenance helper, at Fort Ord California, García was stationed at Fort Winfield in San Francisco's Presidio. García was still spending his hours at his leisure, picking up the acoustic guitar. The rigors and the structure of Army life did not appeal to him and he was discharged on December 14, 1960, after accruing two courts martial and eight AWOLs. After his discharge García and a poet named Robert Hunter teamed up to make music—later on, Hunter would become the main lyricist for the Grateful Dead. Around this time García was playing and teaching acoustic guitar and banjo (his other great instrumental love), and up to 1964 he sang and performed mainly bluegrass, old-time and folk music. Garcia joined a local bluegrass and folk band called Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, whose membership also included Bob Weir and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. In 1965, this group evolved into the Warlocks—which would in turn become the Grateful Dead later that year—and Garcia picked up the electric guitar.

Career with the Grateful Dead

García's mature guitar-playing melded elements from the various kinds of music that had enthralled him. Echoes of "hillbilly" and bluegrass playing (such as Arthur Smith and Doc Watson) could be heard. But the "roots music" behind hillbilly and bluegrass had its influence, too, and melodic riffs from Celtic fiddle jigs can be distinguished. There was also early rock (like Lonnie Mack, James Burton and Chuck Berry), contemporary blues (such as Freddie King and Lowell Fulson), country & western (such as Roy Nichols and Don Rich), and jazz (like Charlie Christian) to be heard in Jerry's style. Don Rich was the sparkling country guitar player in Buck Owens's "Buckaroos" band of the 1960s, but besides Rich's style, both Garcia's pedal steel guitar playing (on Grateful Dead records and others) and his standard electric guitar work, were influenced by another of Owens's Buckaroos of that time, pedal-steel player Tom Blumley.

García's style varied somewhat according to the song or instrumental he was contributing to. His playing had a number of so-called "signatures" and, in his work through the years with the Grateful Dead, one of these was lead lines making much use of rhythmic triplets (examples include the songs "Good Morning Little School Girl," "New Speedway Boogie," "Brokedown Palace," "Deal," "Loser," "Truckin'," "That's It For The Other One," "U.S. Blues," "Sugaree," and "Don't Ease Me In").

Young people were attracted to García not only because of his talent, tendency to good cheer and general goodwill, but also his obvious intelligence, freedom-loving sort of attitude, and willingness to speak his mind. Though he was widely regarded as a kind of guru figure in the San Francisco psychedelic scene, Garcia couldn’t take the role seriously himself. However, most of his biographers conclude that the pressures of fame contributed to his heavy use of opiates beginning in the mid-1970s that would (along with obesity and diabetes) claim his life at age 53.

From 1965 to 1995, the Grateful Dead toured almost constantly, developing a fan base known as deadheads, renowned for their intensity of devotion. Some fans dedicated their lives to the band, following the Grateful Dead from concert to concert, making a living by selling handmade goods, arts, crafts and, at times, narcotics in the parking lots of venues before the shows. It was no secret that drugs, especially psychedelics, were condoned within this atmosphere. During the late '80s and early '90s, however, the Grateful Dead fanbase accrued a notoriety for widespread solicitation and use of drugs in and around Grateful Dead concert arenas. This caused the band to be banned from several large venues, such as that in Hampton, VA for years at a time. García's use of hard, addictive drugs was evident to those who knew him by the mid 1970s, according to several biographers.

Side projects

In addition to the Grateful Dead (who frequently toured for long periods), Garcia had numerous side projects, the most notable being the Jerry Garcia Band. He was also involved with various acoustic projects such as Old and in the Way and other bluegrass bands, including collaborations with noted bluegrass mandolinist David Grisman (the documentary film "Grateful Dawg" chronicles the deep, long-term friendship between Garcia and Grisman). Other groups of which Garcia was a member at one time or another include the Black Mountain Boys Legion of Mary [http://members.aol.com/lomhome/, Reconstruction, and the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band. Jerry Garcia was also an appreciative fan of jazz artists and improvisation: he played with jazz keyboardists Merl Saunders and Howard Wales for many years in various groups and jam sessions, and he appeared on saxophonist Ornette Coleman's 1988 album, Virgin Beauty.

Garcia also lent pedal-steel guitar playing to fellow-San Francisco musicians New Riders of the Purple Sage on their self-titled debut album, released in 1971. Garcia's Grateful Dead bandmate Phil Lesh co-produced the album.

Having studied art at the San Francisco Art Institute, Garcia made a second career out of painting. A series of neckties based on those paintings has been quite lucrative. The popularity of the ties might be attributed to their wild patterns and bright colors. Even in 2005, ten years after Garcia's death, new styles and designs continue to be sold at high-end men's stores.

Garcia was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Death

Jerry García died on August 9, 1995 of a heart attack exacerbated by sleep apnea. Garcia, who struggled with drug addiction and sleep apnea for much of his adult life, was staying at the Serenity Knolls drug rehabilitation center in Forest Knolls, California at the time. On his passing, he was honored by President Clinton as being "an American icon." Memorial services were held in Golden Gate Park on August 13, 1995. Along with the band members, his family and friends, thousands of fans were present, many singing and playing in drum circles.

Legacy

Rolling Stone named Garcia the 13th best guitarist of all time. *

In 1987, ice cream manufacturers Ben and Jerry came out with Cherry Garcia, which is named after the guitarist and consists of "cherry ice cream with cherries and fudge flakes." It quickly became the most popular Ben and Jerry's flavor. For a month after Garcia's death, the ice cream was made with black cherries as a way of mourning.

On 21 July 2005, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission * passed a resolution to name the amphitheater in McLaren Park "The Jerry Garcia Amphitheater." The amphitheater is located in the Excelsior District, where Garcia grew up.

On August 9, 2005, the late D12 member Proof released his first solo-album, called "Searching for Jerry Garcia" in honor of the late Grateful Dead member. Upon the release, Proof said: "He played every kind of music -- he had jazz albums, classical albums, he went against the grain," Proof said. "He didn't care about the record sales ... I mean, his shows outsold his record sales. That almost don't make sense to me."

Of course García's greatest legacy, besides the millions of people whose lives he touched and the thousands of hours of music he left the world, is the Jam band scene the Dead spawned. Phish, Widespread Panic and dozens of other groups not only play in the Dionysian spirit of the Dead but keep the Deadhead spirit alive through shows that are, at their best, as much about community as they are about music.

On September 22, 2005, the A Celebration of the Music & Spirit of Jerry Garcia tribute concert was held at the Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California. The concert featured Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Bruce Hornsby, Trey Anastasio, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Michael Kang, Jay Lane, Jeff Chimenti, Mark Karan, Robin Sylvester, Kenny Brooks, Gloria Jones, and Jackie LaBranch. Two of García's longtime bandmates and friends, Phil Lesh and Robert Hunter did not attend. Phil Lesh stated that "my son went away to college and we had all kinds of family things going that week."[http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2005/10/27/lesh.html (3)

Discography

See also

External links

1942 births | 1995 deaths | American Episcopalians | American rock guitarists | Banjoists | Bluegrass musicians | California musicians | Deaths from cardiovascular disease | Entertainers who died in their 50s | Grateful Dead | Pedal steel guitarists | People from the San Francisco Bay Area | San Franciscans | Spanish-Americans | United States Army soldiers | People treated for drug addiction

Jerry García | Jerry García | Jerry García | Jerry García | Jerry García | Jerry García

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Jerry García".

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