Legends of Rock & Roll: The Grateful Dead

"What a long, strange trip it's been."

Welcome to another in the Legends of Rock & Roll series.

The Legends of Rock & Roll series is about the music we have listened to over the past fifty years. This is a mini-biography of the band The Grateful Dead, but even more importantly, it's about the music that they created; the songs that affected a generation.

The Dead were the most important band of the psychedelic era (the last half of the Sixties) and, arguably, one of the most ground breaking bands in the history of Rock & Roll. They gradually increased their fans until hundreds of thousands would show up for a concert. The Grateful Dead are almost single-handedly responsible for keeping the spirit of the Sixties alive through the next twenty years.

This is the story of The Grateful Dead.

This is an unauthorized fan tribute.

Inside you'll find:

Introduction - My feelings about The Grateful Dead in general and a kick-off for the book.
Before The Grateful Dead - An introduction to how the five guys came together to form the band.
Jerry Garcia - A look at the life of Jerry Garcia before The Grateful Dead.
Phil Lesh - A look at the life of Phil Lesh before The Grateful Dead.
Bob Weir - A look at the life of Bob Weir before The Grateful Dead.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - - A look at the life of Ron "Pigpen" McKernan before The Grateful Dead.
Bill Kreutzmann - A look at the life of Bill Kreutzmann before The Grateful Dead.
Acid Tests - "Can You Pass the Acid Tests?"
What's in a Name - How did the Dead come up with the name and what does it mean?
Summer of Love - 1967 was the famous Summer of Love in San Francisco. What part did the Dead play it that?
Mickey Hart Joins the Band - The band gets a sixth member.
"Anthem of the Sun" - How their second album came to be.
“Aoxomoxoa” - The third album. What does it mean and how do you pronounce it?
First Truly Live Album - They finally get a chance to record a live album and everything changes.
“Workingman’s Dead” - The story of a Grateful Dead classic.
“American Beauty” - This album contained one of their most famous hits.
A Classic Concert - The story of a classic concert in New York City.
Deadheads - Who were Deadheads and where did the name come from?
Keith and Donna Godchaux Join the Band - The band grows by two more people.
The Death of Pigpen - The loss of one of the founding members deeply affects the band.
The Wall of Sound - The famous wall of sound that highlighted each live performance.
“Blues for Allah” - Another famous Dead album. Who is Allah?
The Eighties - Drugs threatened to end the band in the Eighties.
Jerry Goes Through a Rough Patch - Jerry Garcia goes through some tough times trying to get his habits under control.
“Touch of Gray” - The story of their one hit single.
The End of The Grateful Dead - The loss of Jerry Garcia signals the end of the Grateful Dead.
After the Dead - What happened to the band members after the band broke up?
Legacy of The Grateful Dead - Every Legends book has a Legacy section where we review the awards and contributions of the artist or band.
Afterword - My closing thoughts.
Selected Discography - A list of the major works by The Grateful Dead.