Jerry Garcia: A Biography

Greenwood Press

Publishers description:

As a founding member of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia became famous for his work as a key creative force in this band. Known for free flowing jam sessions, psychedelic drug use, and a loyal fan base, The Grateful Dead combined a variety of genres, including blues, folk and country rock to create new and different sounds than those used by other popular bands at the time, including The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Garcia contributed significantly to an era in American music that was influenced by social changes, war, and political strife. Yet Garcia's creative genius expanded beyond the fame that came as lead guitarist and vocalist for the Dead. From the time he was a young boy learning to play the piano in the Excelsior district of San Francisco, Garcia explored various genres and forms of music and visual art. This biography offers students and general readers an insightful look into Garcia's creative genius and the various influences on his work as he contributed to the counter-cultural movement in the United States.

• Series Foreword
• Introduction
• Acknowledgements
• Timeline of Events in the Life of Jerry Garcia
• Chapter 1: The Music Never Stopped: Life with the Garcia and Clifford Families
• Chapter 2: Cats Under the Stars
• Chapter 3: Comes a Time
• Chapter 4: Watch Each Card You Play
• Chapter 5: Been All Around this World
• Chapter 6: She Belongs to Me
• Chapter 7: Attics of My Life
• Glossary
• Appendix 1: Where are they now? The Living members of the Dead and Friends
• Appendix 2: Jerry Garcias Guitars
• Selected Bibliography