Posted On: Saturday - August 9th 2025 8:19PM MST
In Topics: Music The Dead
We lost this great musician 30 years ago today. I bet certain readers and one particular commenter thought Peak Stupidity had forgotten.
Nope. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that The Dead's lead guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia died at age 53. I'm not trying to be too dramatic here, as if it a day we lost one or some of the many Kennedies* or something. 9/11 was another day like that. With Jerry's death, though, it was more that I was in the same place I often was, but that summer I had had thoughts of following the band around.
I've never owned a VW Microbus. I don't make bead necklaces, create decorative paraphernalia, or package up drugs, say, for trading for tickets. In the Summer of '95 though, I had a decent amount of money in the bank for that time and my lifestyle then. I worked on my own schedule. Why not drive my favorite and only American sports car around the country to a handful of shows? I could watch the girls twirling outside the shows while sitting in the hatchback, not doing drugs but miraculously enjoying the show anyway. I might have needed a miracle, as they say, to get tickets. Well, the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry anymore...
I was on the front porch when I heard something on the radio. That was the end of that proposed plan and that all-American, one-of-a-kind musical band.** I just sat there and I had to blast out some Dead for an hour. The neighbors were more understanding then.
I did go to 4 shows, 3 in the '80s and 1 in the '90s, one at which I didn't actually SEE the band, but I got to hear the music very well from the hillside above. It was... an experience, man ... The Dead started playing with that name 60 years ago, they played for 30 years, and the end for Jerry was 30 years ago, August 9th of 1995. The music lives on, more than for any other band. I read that there are existing recordings of ~95% of the 2,300-odd shows. They were a hard-working band. Without subtracting out a couple of dead (pun serendipitous) periods, that number of shows means they played music on over 1/5 of all those 10,957 days.
Here are two of the goodbye songs that Jerry and Robert Hunter wrote:
Ripple:
There is a road, no simple highway
between the dawn and the dark of night,
and if you go no one may follow.
That path is for your steps alone.
You who choose to lead must follow,
but if you fall you fall alone.
If you should stand, then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home.
Brokedown Palace:
River gonna take me, sing me sweet and sleepy.
Sing me sweet and sleepy all the way back home.
It's a far gone lullaby sung many years ago.
Mama, mama, many worlds I've come since I first left home.
Goin' home, goin' home,
by the waterside I will rest my bones.
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul.
One can find hundreds or even thousands of versions of these songs and pick better ones, but I put these two in for the clearest sound. Both those double albums, Live Dead, the one with the beautiful cover paintings of New York and San Francisco, and Reckoning, with its acoustic recordings, would be great introductions to the band. It's never too late.
PS: Since I found this on the way, here's Dave Letterman with Jerry and Bob from back 43 years ago, when they'd already been playing together 17 years. They play a nice Deep Elem Blues and Monkey and the Engineer for the Late Night audience.
* I remember exactly where I WASN't when that one Kennedy got killed - on the ski slopes.
** I can't just say rock and roll, because they played so many styles, sometimes together.
Also, I'm sure Dead and Company and the other spin-off bands were fun, but ...
Comments:
Moderator
Monday - August 11th 2025 4:42PM MST
PS: Mr. Hail, first off, I noticed your new post about Michelle Malkin. That was good reading. I had first thought you'd forgotten of her being on TUR and that last column (I guess it appeared everywhere she was syndicated, of course, but you linked to TUR, IIRC.) I'll write you back on your blog.
This 7 year anniversary of that lost White soul who took that Dash on its last flight may have been worth writing about. Or, one could just show a good video like the one Adam pasted the link in to.
Ron Paul, OTOH, is ALWAYS a much more optimistic guy than that poor fellow who did the aerobatics. Yes, I will try to remember to put a post up on the 20th for Dr. Paul's 90th. I have a tiny bit of personal experience, as I've related before. You wrote that Ron Paul was possibly his best in his 70s. I'll add that I think I didn't know who he was until probably the late '90s at the earliest, but, upon looking at some video clips of him in the 1980s - I think it was on Donahue, if that rings a bell - he was a firebrand then. He was half his present age then.
This 7 year anniversary of that lost White soul who took that Dash on its last flight may have been worth writing about. Or, one could just show a good video like the one Adam pasted the link in to.
Ron Paul, OTOH, is ALWAYS a much more optimistic guy than that poor fellow who did the aerobatics. Yes, I will try to remember to put a post up on the 20th for Dr. Paul's 90th. I have a tiny bit of personal experience, as I've related before. You wrote that Ron Paul was possibly his best in his 70s. I'll add that I think I didn't know who he was until probably the late '90s at the earliest, but, upon looking at some video clips of him in the 1980s - I think it was on Donahue, if that rings a bell - he was a firebrand then. He was half his present age then.
Moderator
Monday - August 11th 2025 4:35PM MST
PS: Adam, I think your estimate based on the wingspan, I assume, it probably right. The guy in the fighter plane was just shocked and came up with that number an exaggeration, plus he didn't have a good view.
Yep, that's the book, Adam, by Clive Irving. It starts off relating the story of the B-36 bomber, first big swept-wing plane (though Alarmist may have a correction there), in which the yaw damper had to be invented, then on to the 707, the development work having been paid by the US Gov during all that B-36 research and testing.
Then, he tells the story of the 747. Yes, it almost bankrupt Boeing. The launch customer Pan-Am was suing due to late deliveries, which, toward the end of it, were due to late deliveries of the Pratt&Whitney turbojets, so Boeing was on their case... That's all forgotten by most people who have loved that plane.
Yep, that's the book, Adam, by Clive Irving. It starts off relating the story of the B-36 bomber, first big swept-wing plane (though Alarmist may have a correction there), in which the yaw damper had to be invented, then on to the 707, the development work having been paid by the US Gov during all that B-36 research and testing.
Then, he tells the story of the 747. Yes, it almost bankrupt Boeing. The launch customer Pan-Am was suing due to late deliveries, which, toward the end of it, were due to late deliveries of the Pratt&Whitney turbojets, so Boeing was on their case... That's all forgotten by most people who have loved that plane.
Moderator
Monday - August 11th 2025 4:26PM MST
PS: Mr. Anderson, you found the band at the right time, then. I appreciate your expertise on the merits of the various shows. Yeah, 1,800 seats is a fairly small place. I've seen a couple of shows at a venue with 3,000 seats, and that's just fine too.
Even 12,000 is not so much compared to the big stadiums - you need that big screen up there to do more than barely see the musicians, in which case, why not just watch it on a screen and save the (modern-day) $150/ticket... or whatever, I'm not payin'.
Anyway, I had heard the name of the band a few years before I'd ever heard any of their music. I saw them on TV playing "Alabama Getaway", and I was really surprised. First of all, that one, from "Go to Heaven", is not so much their typical stuff. That song is pretty standard rock and roll that someone not familiar with The Dead would like right away. See, I didn't know what "acid rock" meant. I didn't know what acid was, for one thing. I'd have this image of acid rock assuming a connotation of acidic, corrosive, something like hard-edged metal, I dunno.
Then some acquaintance let me borrow some of his cassette tapes. I wish I could remember which albums they were - they may have been some songs from "Live Dead" and other 3rd-gen show tapes or whatever. It took me a little bit, but I got to really liking the stuff. I was not in a position to go see a show though at that time, unfortunately...
Even 12,000 is not so much compared to the big stadiums - you need that big screen up there to do more than barely see the musicians, in which case, why not just watch it on a screen and save the (modern-day) $150/ticket... or whatever, I'm not payin'.
Anyway, I had heard the name of the band a few years before I'd ever heard any of their music. I saw them on TV playing "Alabama Getaway", and I was really surprised. First of all, that one, from "Go to Heaven", is not so much their typical stuff. That song is pretty standard rock and roll that someone not familiar with The Dead would like right away. See, I didn't know what "acid rock" meant. I didn't know what acid was, for one thing. I'd have this image of acid rock assuming a connotation of acidic, corrosive, something like hard-edged metal, I dunno.
Then some acquaintance let me borrow some of his cassette tapes. I wish I could remember which albums they were - they may have been some songs from "Live Dead" and other 3rd-gen show tapes or whatever. It took me a little bit, but I got to really liking the stuff. I was not in a position to go see a show though at that time, unfortunately...
Adam Smith
Monday - August 11th 2025 2:54PM MST
PS: Good evening, Mr. Alarmist!
Thanks for the cool video.
Here's another...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwM-nBKVaI
Saw this fat of the gods at Publix the other day and thought of you...
https://thewsauce.com/collections/all-sauce/products/bear-burtons-x-rc-ranch-wagyu-beef-tallow
Cheers! ☮️
Thanks for the cool video.
Here's another...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwM-nBKVaI
Saw this fat of the gods at Publix the other day and thought of you...
https://thewsauce.com/collections/all-sauce/products/bear-burtons-x-rc-ranch-wagyu-beef-tallow
Cheers! ☮️
The Alarmist
Monday - August 11th 2025 1:23PM MST
PS
Hi Mr Smith...
Test Pilot Tex Johnson, who in 1955 rolled a prototype 707 twice over Lake Washington, near Seatlle, remarked, “The barrel roll is a one G maneuver and quite impressive, but the airplane never knows it’s inverted.”
Fun starts around 2:00
https://youtu.be/AaA7kPfC5Hk
🕉
Hi Mr Smith...
Test Pilot Tex Johnson, who in 1955 rolled a prototype 707 twice over Lake Washington, near Seatlle, remarked, “The barrel roll is a one G maneuver and quite impressive, but the airplane never knows it’s inverted.”
Fun starts around 2:00
https://youtu.be/AaA7kPfC5Hk
🕉
The Alarmist
Monday - August 11th 2025 1:09PM MST
PS
Rush Limbaugh was proud of his line of neckties, so when I was invited to a taping of one of his TV shows in Manhattan, I decided to wear a Jerry Garcia collection tie... this one
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a5/21/b4/a521b40cc4a3a8a675c7b5a6f20dffbf.jpg
Rush stopped his warm-up welcome of the audience prior to rolling, fixed his eyes on mine, then said to the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, I think I’ve spotted a liberal.”
🕉
Rush Limbaugh was proud of his line of neckties, so when I was invited to a taping of one of his TV shows in Manhattan, I decided to wear a Jerry Garcia collection tie... this one
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a5/21/b4/a521b40cc4a3a8a675c7b5a6f20dffbf.jpg
Rush stopped his warm-up welcome of the audience prior to rolling, fixed his eyes on mine, then said to the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, I think I’ve spotted a liberal.”
🕉
Hail
Monday - August 11th 2025 7:19AM MST
PS
Speaking of anniversaries to note -----
---- Ron Paul's 90th birthday coming, in nine short days.
It was, in very many ways, a better America back on August 20, 1935. The Great Depression notwithstanding.
I count myself as among those whose first quasi-formative, quasi-mainstream political experiences came with the Ron Paul 2007-08 campaign. Not that I was closely involved, but I did become an enthusiastic supporter in active ways and even "recruited" a friend or two.
I've heard so many people give retrospectives on the Ron Paul 2007-08 campaign as a magical moment. It came before the 2008 crash and before the following five years of economic sluggishness, and it took courage and boldness to be for Ron Paul at the time.
Some years later an orange-haired reality-tv guy came on the scene in June 2015. The movement that he stumbled into being the figurehead of, relied on Ron Paul 2007-08 (and to an extent the then-more-recent 2011-12 sequel, which Trump too had wanted to run in). The Tea Party movement of the early 2010s was also very directly a product of Ron Paul 2008, and Trump 2015 picked up its flagging energies.
If PS finds time to write a Ron Paul retrospective, to go up on or near August 20, here's one remarkable thing: the man reached his highest heights in life in his mid-seventies, when he became a national figure (late 2000s, into the 2010s).
Speaking of the Grateful Dead. People have called Ron Paul a rockstar, the world's leas-likely one in some ways, given his meek personality and uncharismatic persona. (His charisma is solely his truth-telling and principles.) We're somewhat used to aging music figures going on into old age, but they're simply re-living their 20s-30s for a few extra decades, or the energies of fame carrying on twenty-five, even fifty years after the initial success. Ron Paul having his big breakthrough in his mid-seventies is quite a contrast.
Speaking of anniversaries to note -----
---- Ron Paul's 90th birthday coming, in nine short days.
It was, in very many ways, a better America back on August 20, 1935. The Great Depression notwithstanding.
I count myself as among those whose first quasi-formative, quasi-mainstream political experiences came with the Ron Paul 2007-08 campaign. Not that I was closely involved, but I did become an enthusiastic supporter in active ways and even "recruited" a friend or two.
I've heard so many people give retrospectives on the Ron Paul 2007-08 campaign as a magical moment. It came before the 2008 crash and before the following five years of economic sluggishness, and it took courage and boldness to be for Ron Paul at the time.
Some years later an orange-haired reality-tv guy came on the scene in June 2015. The movement that he stumbled into being the figurehead of, relied on Ron Paul 2007-08 (and to an extent the then-more-recent 2011-12 sequel, which Trump too had wanted to run in). The Tea Party movement of the early 2010s was also very directly a product of Ron Paul 2008, and Trump 2015 picked up its flagging energies.
If PS finds time to write a Ron Paul retrospective, to go up on or near August 20, here's one remarkable thing: the man reached his highest heights in life in his mid-seventies, when he became a national figure (late 2000s, into the 2010s).
Speaking of the Grateful Dead. People have called Ron Paul a rockstar, the world's leas-likely one in some ways, given his meek personality and uncharismatic persona. (His charisma is solely his truth-telling and principles.) We're somewhat used to aging music figures going on into old age, but they're simply re-living their 20s-30s for a few extra decades, or the energies of fame carrying on twenty-five, even fifty years after the initial success. Ron Paul having his big breakthrough in his mid-seventies is quite a contrast.
Ganderson
Monday - August 11th 2025 5:31AM MST
PS
As it was between shows before hiding out under the seats in the bathrooms to try and stay and see the second show”
Should read: Between shows people were hiding out in the bathrooms and under the seats, it took a while to clear the Theater.
As it was between shows before hiding out under the seats in the bathrooms to try and stay and see the second show”
Should read: Between shows people were hiding out in the bathrooms and under the seats, it took a while to clear the Theater.
Ganderson
Monday - August 11th 2025 5:27AM MST
PS. I’d suppose I’m obligated to check in here!
My journey with the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia began on October 18, 1970, at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. I just done a report for my English class ( I was a sophomore in high school.) about the history of rock and roll; and the Grateful Dead kept coming up- so when I found our they were playing at the Guthrie, an intimate 1800 seat venue, I bought a couple of ducats. Great show- I'd post a link to it, but the two shows they played that Sunday night are among the few for which there are no recordings. Of course, I wish I had known how good it was gonna be, or I would’ve bought tickets for both shows. As it was between shows before hiding out under the seats in the bathrooms to try and stay and see the second show .Anyway at that point I was hooked. I saw them perhaps 50 to 60 times, including shows by the Garcia band over the years. My personal opinion is they were at their peak from about early 1971 to 1979 but some good shows after that as well . Dead and Company has carried on the Music pretty well, their recent run of shows in Golden Gate Park were pretty good as far as I could hear. Of course, too many Weir tunes and not enough Garcia but That’s what happens when you check out early.
My journey with the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia began on October 18, 1970, at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. I just done a report for my English class ( I was a sophomore in high school.) about the history of rock and roll; and the Grateful Dead kept coming up- so when I found our they were playing at the Guthrie, an intimate 1800 seat venue, I bought a couple of ducats. Great show- I'd post a link to it, but the two shows they played that Sunday night are among the few for which there are no recordings. Of course, I wish I had known how good it was gonna be, or I would’ve bought tickets for both shows. As it was between shows before hiding out under the seats in the bathrooms to try and stay and see the second show .Anyway at that point I was hooked. I saw them perhaps 50 to 60 times, including shows by the Garcia band over the years. My personal opinion is they were at their peak from about early 1971 to 1979 but some good shows after that as well . Dead and Company has carried on the Music pretty well, their recent run of shows in Golden Gate Park were pretty good as far as I could hear. Of course, too many Weir tunes and not enough Garcia but That’s what happens when you check out early.
Adam Smith
Sunday - August 10th 2025 10:26PM MST
PS: Good evening, Achmed!
Thanks for the info about barrel rolls in a Dash-8 and such...
Not sure if this is the same 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 book you're talking about...
𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒-𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑚𝑝ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 747...
https://files.catbox.moe/jrku45.pdf
I also found this book, titled 𝑇𝑒𝑥 𝐽𝑜ℎ𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛_ 𝐽𝑒𝑡-𝐴𝑔𝑒 𝑇𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑃𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑡 while I was looking for the 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒-𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 book...
https://files.catbox.moe/pk14ch.pdf
Might be interesting.(?)
𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟...
Well, he didn't hit the water. From the angle at approximately 5:43 it looks like he cleared the water by about 40 or 50 feet. The (F-15?) pilots (or someone) said he cleared the water by about 10 feet. Truly, I don't know if the video we are looking at is real video of the events of August 10, 2018, or some sort of re-creation.(?) Or something else.(?)
Interesting story, in any case...
I hope you have a most enjoyable evening or morning or afternoon, or whatever the case may be...
Cheers! ☮️
Thanks for the info about barrel rolls in a Dash-8 and such...
Not sure if this is the same 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 book you're talking about...
𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒-𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑚𝑝ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 747...
https://files.catbox.moe/jrku45.pdf
I also found this book, titled 𝑇𝑒𝑥 𝐽𝑜ℎ𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛_ 𝐽𝑒𝑡-𝐴𝑔𝑒 𝑇𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑃𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑡 while I was looking for the 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒-𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 book...
https://files.catbox.moe/pk14ch.pdf
Might be interesting.(?)
𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟...
Well, he didn't hit the water. From the angle at approximately 5:43 it looks like he cleared the water by about 40 or 50 feet. The (F-15?) pilots (or someone) said he cleared the water by about 10 feet. Truly, I don't know if the video we are looking at is real video of the events of August 10, 2018, or some sort of re-creation.(?) Or something else.(?)
Interesting story, in any case...
I hope you have a most enjoyable evening or morning or afternoon, or whatever the case may be...
Cheers! ☮️
Moderator
Sunday - August 10th 2025 1:44PM MST
PS: It looked like he started with a roll but ended up more finishing an inside loop... with just enough altitude to stay out of the water. (But, I don't know how many g's he was pulling. He may have been able to keep it tighter.)
Moderator
Sunday - August 10th 2025 1:33PM MST
PS: Boy, I would have said that Horizon Air Q-400, incident was 4-5 years ago if you'd asked me. That's 7 now. Time flies.
As long as one is at a decent altitude, to allow for imperfection, a barrel roll is not anything hard for any plane. This guy knew how to fly, and for the airplane, because it's a 1G maneuver, the airplane "wouldn't feel" anything more than level flight.
Back in 1955, the Boeing 707 (prototype) test pilot Tex Johnson did 2 barrel rolls over Lake Washington in Seattle instead of just the normal fly-by he was supposed to do. Boeing's President Bill Allen on the yacht with aviation big shots, was apoplectic, I read in a great book named "Wide Body", but didn't fire him. "How did you know how it would turn out?!" "I already did one over Moses Lake." (Moses Lake is a small town in Washington State to the east of the Cascades with an airport with one 13,000 foot runway. )
As long as one is at a decent altitude, to allow for imperfection, a barrel roll is not anything hard for any plane. This guy knew how to fly, and for the airplane, because it's a 1G maneuver, the airplane "wouldn't feel" anything more than level flight.
Back in 1955, the Boeing 707 (prototype) test pilot Tex Johnson did 2 barrel rolls over Lake Washington in Seattle instead of just the normal fly-by he was supposed to do. Boeing's President Bill Allen on the yacht with aviation big shots, was apoplectic, I read in a great book named "Wide Body", but didn't fire him. "How did you know how it would turn out?!" "I already did one over Moses Lake." (Moses Lake is a small town in Washington State to the east of the Cascades with an airport with one 13,000 foot runway. )
Moderator
Sunday - August 10th 2025 1:25PM MST
PS: Yeah, I didn't get into any of the details of Jerry's poor health, drug use, and cause of death, Mr. Smith. Thanks for that. I thought I might write another post about some other details of his life. For one thing, he had so many marriages, open or not, that I couldn't keep up with the names on the wiki page.
Adam Smith
Sunday - August 10th 2025 10:21AM MST
PS: Greetings, again, Mr. Moderator...
Apparently, we have another anniversary today,August 10th...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Horizon_Air_Bombardier_Q400_incident
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5y47IRLpEs
(Barrel roll starts at approximately 5:20)
So, how exactly does one perform a barrel roll in a dash-8?
Was this a one off? Did he just get lucky?
☮️
Apparently, we have another anniversary today,August 10th...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Horizon_Air_Bombardier_Q400_incident
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5y47IRLpEs
(Barrel roll starts at approximately 5:20)
So, how exactly does one perform a barrel roll in a dash-8?
Was this a one off? Did he just get lucky?
☮️
Adam Smith
Sunday - August 10th 2025 9:50AM MST
PS: Good afternoon, Achmed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_YcGpQmYSU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkmtOGAsCmE
I know that only the good die young... But 53 is too young. I know they generally attribute Jerry's heart attack to being overweight, having diabetes, along with his poor diet, smoking, and drug use. While I agree with this I also think his heart attack was likely a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy caused by heroin withdrawal. (Not that it really matters.)
RIP Jerry Garcia.
☮️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_YcGpQmYSU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkmtOGAsCmE
I know that only the good die young... But 53 is too young. I know they generally attribute Jerry's heart attack to being overweight, having diabetes, along with his poor diet, smoking, and drug use. While I agree with this I also think his heart attack was likely a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy caused by heroin withdrawal. (Not that it really matters.)
RIP Jerry Garcia.
☮️
Anyone here remember black lights?
Anyway, Ol Rushbo made a bad assumption there, that is, unless you WERE a "liberal" (lefty is a better term) then.
Did you see the beginning of the 3rd video in this post? Man, they were having fun - Dave teaching Jerry how to play. Hilarious!