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Named from an Egyptian prayer that Jerry Garcia spotted in a dictionary, The Grateful Dead were psychedelic pioneers and, according to Rolling Stone, “the most improvisatory of all major rock bands.” From the late 1960s to the death of Garcia in 1995, the band was best known for its long, freeform live performances that borrowed from many rock traditions including country, blues and folk. Besides lead guitarist/vocalist Garcia, the Dead ‘s original members included: Phil Lesh (bass guitar), Bob Weir, (rhythm guitar), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica), B Continued...

ill Kreutzmann (drums) and Mickey Hart (drums and percussion). All of the members of the group contributed on vocals. The band formed near San Francisco at the height of the counterculture movement and came to embody the hippie way of life across the country. Dead fans were so devoted to their favorite band that the followed the troupe across the United States from venue to venue and got the nickname, Deadheads.
Despite their loyal following, The Grateful Dead were considered nothing more than a cult phenomenon before the 1987 release of In the Dark, which became the year's most surprising hit when the single "Touch of Grey" became the first-ever Dead track to reach the Top Ten on the pop charts. Suddenly their videos were in regular rotation on MTV, and virtually overnight the number of Deadheads grew exponentially, with countless new fans flocking to the group's shows. Not only did concert tickets become increasingly tough to come by for longtime followers, but there were also more serious repercussions -- the influx of new fans shifted the crowd dynamic considerably, and once-mellow audiences became infamous not only for their excessive drug habits but also for their violent encounters with police. With all of the drug abuse that swirled around the band and its ever-changing lineup, few were surprised to hear that at age 53 Garcia was found dead in his room at a rehab facility.
Since Garcia’s passing, Weir, Hart, Lesh and Hornsby have toured together, albeit without the name of the Grateful Dead, and all memorabilia related to Garcia and his years with the band has gone onto sell incredibly well. The Grateful Dead as we knew them may not be around anymore, but their rock and roll legacy lives on.