Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia was the lead guitarist and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead. Named after composer Jerome Kern, Garcia started on the banjo and piano, moved on to the guitar, and eventually became a master on many stringed instruments, despite the accidental amputation of his right middle finger. Garcia'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. 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, and crafts. Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995, of a heart attack. Garcia, who struggled with tobacco and 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."