Jerry Garcia Facts: Jerry Garcia (1942-1995) was an American musician and the lead guitarist, vocalist, and one of the founding members of the iconic rock band, the Grateful Dead. Born on August 1, 1942, in San Francisco, California, Garcia became an influential figure in the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. His distinctive guitar playing style, which blended elements of blues, folk, and psychedelic rock, became a defining characteristic of the Grateful Dead’s sound. The band’s improvisational live performances and dedicated fan base, known as “Deadheads,” contributed to their status as one of the most legendary and enduring bands in rock history. Beyond his work with the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia was involved in various side projects and collaborations, showcasing his versatility and musical curiosity. His untimely passing on August 9, 1995, left a profound impact on the music world, but his legacy continues to thrive as his music and influence remain cherished by generations of fans.
Jerry Garcia Facts
1- Born on august 1, 1942, Jerry was his parents second and final child.
2- Jerry’s full name was Jerome John Garcia–named after the great broadway musical composer Jerome Kern.
3- His father was a retired professional musician and his mother enjoyed playing the piano
4- Garcia was a fan of surreal art; some of his influences were Max Ernst and Paul Klee.
5- Jerry received his first guitar at the age of 15.
6- In 1989, Garcia testified about the plight of the rainforests at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
7- Jerry was a strong enviromental activist-the album Blues from the Rainforest was a project he worked on to help create awarness for the diminishing rainforests.
8- Garcia used about 25 guitars
9- His First Love Was Country Music
10- Jerry published a book of his artwork entitled The Book J. Garcia;Paintings,Drawings, and Sketches.
11- One of Jerry’s favorite past times was scuba diving.
12- Jerry’s first paying gigcame with his future songwriting partner, Robert Hunter. Named “Bob and Jerry,” each earned $5.00.
13- Jerry had built up a repertoire of bluegrass tunes, ballads, mountain tunes, rags, and country blues that he performed on the five string banjo.
14- Jerry sang the national anthem for the San Francisco Giants on opening day in 1993
15- Garcia met Bob Weir and decided to assemblew a jug band- Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions- featuring instruments suc as the jug, wash tub bass,harmonica,washboard, and the kazoo.
16- Jerry played several instruments including the saxophone,piano,banjo and the guitar.
17- Garcia was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead in 1994
18- Jerry, along with the likes of Janis Joplin, became known as one of the originators of the “San Francisco Sound.”
19- Garcia won awards for Musician of the Year and Best Guitarist in 1988 at the Bay Area Music awards.
20- Jerry performed in several groups that only existed for a gig or two:the Thunder Mountain Tub Thumperw, the Sleepy Hollw Hog Stompers, the Wildwood Boys, and the Black Mountain Boys.
21- Jerry was an avid collector of comic books.
22- After seeing The Beatles film’ “A Hard Days Night,” Jerry was inspired to change his jug band into a rock band
23- Jerry earned three merit badges in the Boy Scouts:for knot tying, compass reading,and life saving.
24- Vice-president Al Gore gave Garcia a personal tour of the White House.
25- Jerry played all the instrument sexcept the drums for his first solo album, titled Garcia.
26- Garcia’s parents named him Jerome after composer Jerome Kern
27- Seattle rock band Soundgarden wrote and recorded the instrumental song “Jerry Garcia’s Finger”, dedicated to the singer, which was released as a b-side with their single “Pretty Noose”.
28- His first guitar was a Danelectro electric with a tiny fender amplifier.
29- In the 2018 episode “No Country for Old Dads,” The CW TV show Legends of Tomorrow makes repeated mention of The Grateful Dead, with the character Mick Rory in particular mentioning Garcia himself; Rory is also seen putting on the guitarist’s glasses.
30- Garcia was selected as the Bay Area Musician of the Year in 1980 through a readers’ poll in Bay Area Music magazine.
31- Jerry earned three merit badges in the Boy Scouts for knot tying, compass reading and life-saving
32- Jerry was court marshalled twice while in the Army.
33- Jerry’s first commercial was a 30-second radio advertisement for Levis 501 jeans. Even Deadheads gotta eat
34- Jerry lost his middle finger of his right hand–his brother accidentally chopped it off splitting wood.
35- Jerry loved to play several types of music, including folk, bluegrass, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and acid rock.
36- .Jerry colaborated with members of Saturday Night Live and developed skitsaround Grateful Dead folklore, including a bit entitled “Jerry’s Kids.”
37- Jerry’s first idol on the guitar was Chuck Berry.
38- In 1987, Vermont ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s introduced their Cherry Garcia flavor dedicated to him. It is the first ice cream dedicated to a musician
39- One of Jerry’s first jobs was picking apricots and beans in a local fiels.
40- Jerry had long been a fan of Bob Dylan , and had covered many of Dylan’s songs with both the Jerry Garcia band and the Grateful Dead.
41- He was well known for his distinctive guitar playing, and was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone‘s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” cover story in 2003
42- Garcia became a regular on the radio broadcast of The Midnight Special, a folk music show in Berkley,
California.
43- Jerry earned the nickname “Captain Trips” because of his interest in LSD excusions.
44- Garcia helped to set up a foundation to help support various charitys, the Rex Foundation, which made contributions to numerous social and enviromental causes in need.
45- jerry’s parents owned a bar in San Francisco- the Four Humdred Club, named for its location,400 First Street.
46- Jerry died of a heart attack on august 9, 1995, eight days after his 53rd birthday.
Awesome. You just forgot the last one
47 Jerry Garcia is God
Also he wrote two books. His book Harrington street is a beautiful masterpiece from
His childhood.
And he was a scuba diving instructor. Gave Lessons. Might still
Hold the longest dive off a single tank of oxygen off the Kona coast. Over an hour..
Peace and love
Cool.jeffret
cool