October 16, 1947 - January 10, 2026
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His music meant so much to me and my family.
Heās finally jamminā with Jerry again, but he will be missed here, thatās for sure.
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Be at peace, Bobby. Thank you for everything.
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I saw this, so sadā¦ Weāre losing all the greats.
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RIP grateful one!
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Got misty listening to Brokedown Palace this morning. Fare you well Bob.
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Every one of the greats has gotta die someday. Makes room for the next generation of em.
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Seems like Iāve been missing Bob since 1990ās sometimeā¦ā¦.?
Sure miss him & his band!
Everyone but the original drummers have passed, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.
Glad I got to see some
Dead & Co showed even got engaged at one, wish I coulda seen The Grateful Deadā¦
Jerry died when I was around 5 I think, but my parents, before I was born, used to travel all over to see them. 150-200 shows I think, depending which parent you ask. My dad wasnāt a hippy or anything, just a hard working dude who liked a good time I guess. My mom was kinda hippy dippy but he got her into the scene.
I kinda thought they were a dorky dad band growing up on car rides and stuff, but now they are a go to. They feel like home
Long live The Dead.
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Hmmm, I think ya had to be thereā¦
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I was never a big Dead fanā¦ But, it wasnāt because they werenāt really good.
It was more about the diversity of music blowing up in the same era.
It just seemed a good number of people leaned into āHeavy Musicā and the Dead was just a Damn good straight forward feel good band. No Mosh pits, violent tendencies, no subliminaly negative narratives. Just really good musicians, playing really happy songs with great lyrics people could relate to.
Their music is timeless and sounds as good today as when they played it waaaay back when.
People from various parts of the country at the time were already wrapping their heads around groups like the Beatles and the Beach boys and the Rolling Stones, etc. That doesnāt mean there wasnāt room for the Grateful Dead. That just means that they were so different than in their early years Even though they werenāt that popular, yet, they were in a category of their own. They didnāt really sound like anybody else. And nobody else really sounded like them. I remember in the 60s they used to call them the psychedelic band.
I remember back then since Iām from back then, lol, that a good number of people I knew that listen to them, seem to be medicated in one way or another. I donāt mean that in a bad way. I just mean that the people that we talk about them seem like They werenāt as excitable or prone to extreme tendencies as people that listen to other types of music at the time.
I remember in the late 60s when Jimi Hendrix finally made a splash. To consider his music was pretty much diametrically opposite of the mood and feel that you would get from listening to the dead, itās easy to relate that a very different personality type would lean to one sound or another
When I was in high school, I had a girlfriend that looked like a living doll. I actually took her to see Jimi Hendrix for what turned out to be his last West Coast appearance before he sadly passed away. My High School sweetheart, that saw Jimi with me, 56 years ago, is sleeping in the next room, about 16 feet from this IPad. I think she still likes me? I mean after all, Iām the only guy that took her to see Jimi Hendrix, lol..
Back in my surfing days I had friends I would literally listen to nothing but The Beach Boys. And the Beach boys were really good and popular at the time. And into this day, some of their classic tunes are still considered great tunes and generate smiles automatically when you listen to them.
Some people were all about the Beatles. Incredibly the Beatles, just being four guys, had such a diversity in their quiver of music from album to album. The Beatles would change moods and change direction from album to album. Their popularity was constant even as their music changed dramatically. You have the I wanna hold your hand music and another album, Strawberry Fields, forever, etc..
Same goes for groups like Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin appeared around 1968. They pretty much turned things upside down on the heaviness scale. But if you follow their history as they move forward, album to album they were pretty much just as heavy, but their music changed from album to album.
The Grateful Dead, at least, in my opinion, was pretty consistent. They started a little rough like a GarageBandā¦ But at the same time, they were just fine tuning what would become their exclusive and legendary sound. A great bunch of guys that were very good musicians that turned out some very good tunes And sold out a whole lot of concerts and forged fans for life.
Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia In the early 60ās, actually played a lot of folk music. At the time, they werenāt exactly sure where they were gonna go from there, but they knew there was something else. They were leaning into the next stage, but really couldnāt put their finger on what it was gonna be.
Then they ran into a guy named Ken Kesey, not too far from San Francisco. Flowing with their energy and adding Kenās brain to the equation, allowed Bob and Jerry to recognize what to do going forward.
Instead of competing with the sounds of some of the heavy hitters in the same era, they had a better idea. Establish a sound in a mood and an interest by not sounding like anybody else. Deliberately being different but at the same time providing great entertainment, and good feelings.
I never talked to a single person that attended a Grateful Dead concert that said they didnāt enjoy their selves or get their moneys worth. I heard nothing but good news and good reviews and you shouldāve been there if I wasnāt, lol
Where I live in Southern California about a mile from the coast in San Pedro, we still have people that wear deadhead T-shirts. And if I call him out when I see him now and then, they pretty much have the same reactionā¦ Man were those the good old days or what? Always smiling like the cat that ate the Canary.
My older brother who still actually alive even though heās older than meā¦ Started playing a guitar when he was 12 years old. Heās 76 now and he still plays. He loved Jerry Garcia and had no hesitation in seeing the guy was a hell of a guitar player. His playing style obviously was subdued because the dead music was more of a relaxed nature. But now and then in concert, heād open some eyes up and he punch out some pretty damn good riffs and people would realize the dude was no joke. Thatās for sure. And he was a heck of a nice guy too. He never looked down at anybody. He was just a good hearted guy like Bob.
So as has already been said most the guys are gone now. Jerry left this world several years ago.
And now Bob and Jerry have no doubt reunited in a parallel universe. And no doubt people are already marking their calendars and starting the happiness of their music all over again.
Theyāre pretty much gone, but their music is readyā¦ On callā¦ On commandā¦ 24 hours a dayā¦ And never gets stale.
The Grateful Dead achieved a legendary status before they even knew it. I would bet my favorite body parts that Bob and Jerry had no idea maybe be loved so much and missed by so many and at the same time weāll have their music played now and in the future.
If you read this part, by now youāre probably getting at least a sneaking suspicion that I like them.
And if you try that conclusion, youāre a pretty smart cookie.
Until we all take turns fading out we gotta do just like the Deadā¦ Keep On Truckin
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Rest up bob, you made it
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