The Grateful Dead: 12 Facts About The Legendary Band That Only True Fans Would Know
Forming in Palo Alto, California in 1965, the Grateful Dead grew to become cultural icons both during and after the rise of the counterculture movement. They were hugely influential for their hard-living lifestyles and their unique music, which has been described as "[Touching] on ground that most other groups don't even know exists." Furthermore, they are considered the Godfathers of the jam band style of music, known for their lengthy, energetic, largely improvisational, and drug-fueled performances.
Now, put on your favorite Dead album and trip out to these lesser-known facts about the Grateful Dead. Keep reading through this list in order to learn more.
The Band Had Incredibly Diverse Backgrounds
It's a miracle that the Grateful Dead even formed as a band. They all had such diverse backgrounds and personalities that it probably wouldn't have worked out for most groups. For example, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan grew up with African-American music, Jerry Garcia was from a blues and country background, and bassist Phil Lesh didn't even like rock and roll.
On top of that, Bob Weir is described as a preppy kid into indie music with Bill Kreutzmann initially being a jazz drummer. Some of them never even touched electric instruments until their time as the Warlocks. Yet the band remained together for 30 years, becoming one of the most revered bands of their time.
They Chose Their Name Randomly From A Dictionary
After the band had moved on from the Warlocks, they knew that they needed a new name. However, coming up with the right band name isn't always an easy task. Apparently, they were all over at Phil Lesh's house smoking DMT when they found an Oxford Dictionary.
According to Jerry Garcia, "I opened it, and there was 'grateful dead,' those words juxtaposed. It was one of those moments, you know, like everything else on the page went blank, diffuse, just sorta oozed away [...] So I said, 'How about Grateful Dead?' and that was it."
Keith And Donna Godchaux Joined The Band After Asking
Donna and her husband Keith Godchaux were major Deadheads who saw the group whenever they had the opportunity to. Supposedly, one day, Donna came home and suggested that they sit down and listen to their favorite band. Keith, who is a classically trained pianist, responded by saying, "I don't want to listen to it anymore; I want to play it..."
After the next Grateful Dead concert they attended, Donna walked up to Garcia and said, "Keith is your next keyboarder." Keith was hired on as a keyboardist 1971 and Donna as a backup vocalist in 1972. Dreams do come true.
A Band Member's Father Embezzled From The Band
Mickey Hart was not an original band member but joined the group in 1967 as a second drummer, something few bands have ever pulled off. They also hired Hart's father Lenny, a drummer and a reverend, to manage the band's finances. However, in 1970, it was discovered that he was embezzling their money and took off. Mickey left the band out of shame but rejoined in 1974.
In 1971, Lenny was found and arrested in San Diego. The band's 1972 song "He's Gone" is about Lenny containing lyrics such as "steal your face right off your head," and "He's gone/Like a steam locomotive, rollin' down the track."
There Were Different Factions Of Deadheads
Aside from their mutual deep love for the Grateful Dead, the Deadheads who followed the band as they toured varied greatly. According to longtime Deadhead and science journalist Steve Silberman, "The physical layout of a Grateful Dead show was like a mandala with different regions."
Supposedly, there was an area reserved near the bass speakers known as the "Phil Zone" and another known as the "Deaf Zone." This was an area for people hard of hearing where they could feel the vibrations through balloons and had translators. Then there were Jerry Garcia worshipers, the Wharf Rats, and so on and so forth.
They Weren't Very Proud Of Their Woodstock Set, Especially Garcia
Although the Grateful Dead is one of the most memorable bands of Woodstock 1969, it turns out they weren't that thrilled about their set. When Garcia was asked why their performance wasn't in the 1970 Woodstock feature film his answer was straightforward. He stated: "Well, we played such a bad set at Woodstock."
He didn't like how they played at night and even though thousands of people were watching it felt like they were playing for no one. Plus, it was raining and they all thought they were going to get electrocuted and the stage was going to collapse.
Their Song "Dark Star" Could Last Up To 48 Minutes
Released in 1968, "Dark Star" was a single the group released with a run time of 2 minutes and 44 seconds. Regarded as an early Grateful Dead classic, it grew to become one of their most beloved songs that fans greatly anticipated at concerts. The song went on to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Although it had an album run time of just under three minutes, they used the song as a base for many of their extended improvisation sessions at live shows. At concerts, the song would average around 20 minutes with its most extended version running at 48 minutes!
They Were One Of The Early Bands To Establish A Mailing List
Ahead of the game, people who worked for the band would set up booths and have fans fill out a postcard to compose a rudimentary mailing list. They were one of the first bands to do so at the time, which was a genius marketing decision on their behalf.
They then would mail newsletters to those who signed up about upcoming shows and other news regarding the band. Although it wasn't necessarily about gaining popularity, it didn't hurt. It was really about giving back to their loyal fans who cared about their music and what they were doing.
They Helped Out The Yogurt Industry In The US
Although yogurt may be a prevalent food in the United States, during the early 1970s, it was considered to be a hippie source of nourishment. Around that time, Ken Kesey's brother, Chuck, had founded Oregon's Springfield Creamery where they sold Nancy's Honey Yogurt.
Since the business was struggling, Chuck Kesey reached out to the Grateful Dead to help promote his product. The band answered by hosting a benefit show in 1972 in Venta, Oregon to keep the creamery in business. Amazingly, Nancy's Yogurt is still around today.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Didn't Die From Drinking
Another member of the infamous 27 Club, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan died at the young age of 27 in 1973. Although he was a heavy drinker, preferring alcohol to the other substances that the band heavily indulged in, contrary to popular belief, he didn't die due to his alcoholism.
Although drinking had begun to affect his health in his twenties, he also showed symptoms of congenital primary biliary cholangitis, a rare autoimmune disease that was unrelated to alcohol. Even though he had given up alcohol in the last year of his life due to his health, he eventually succumbed to the disease.
Their Fans Could be A Little Much
Even though the Grateful Dead were an extremely fan-oriented band, some ultra-fans, better known as Deadheads, were a little too obsessed. While the band appreciated their fans, they didn't condone them giving up their lives to worship them.
Bob Weir commented that "If you're a kid and you want to spend a summer on the road, that's one thing. If you're selling controlled substances, I have limited sympathy." It's also believed that Jerry Garcia lost himself to hard narcotics partially because of the pressure of many of their fans revering him as a god.
Bob Weir Met His Biological Father As An Adult
Born in 1947, Bob Weir was adopted by a family in Atherton, California. After his adoptive parents died in 1972, his biological mother contacted him, yet their meeting didn't go over well. She did give him the name of his father who he contacted ten years later. His father was an Air Force colonel and the commanding officer at Hamilton Field Air Force base, which happened to be in San Francisco.
His father said the only Robert Weir he knew was the guy in the Grateful Dead. Weir responded, "Well, sir that would be me." He was then introduced to his four brothers, some of whom played the guitar, and one who was ironically a Deadhead.
