Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia was the lead guitarist, vocalist, and spokesman for the seminal '60s rock & roll band The Grateful Dead. Throughout his career, he led The Dead through numerous changes, becoming one of the most famous figures in the history of rock & roll. Simultaneously, Garcia pursued an eclectic array of side projects, ranging from the bluegrass group Old & In The Way to his folky solo recordings. Garcia stayed active as a member of The Grateful Dead and as a solo performer until his death in 1995.



Garcia learned to play guitar when he was 15 years old, originally playing folk and rock & roll. In 1959, when he was 17 years old, he spent a brief time in the army. When he left the military after a matter of months, he moved to Palo Alto, CA, where he met and became friends with Robert Hunter, who would later become his lyricist. Garcia bought a banjo in 1962 and began playing in local bluegrass bands. Within a few years, he was a member of Mother Mccree's Uptown Jug Champions, a popular local bluegrass and folk band whose membership also included Bob Weir and Pigpen. In 1965, this group evolved into The Warlocks, which would in turn become The Grateful Dead in 1966.

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