The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead were an American psychedelia-influenced rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. more...

Home
Accessories/ Storage
CDs
Cassettes
Music Memorabilia
Artists/ Groups
ABBA
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Bee Gees
Blondie/ Debbie Harry
Blur
Bob Marley
Bon Jovi
Britney Spears
Celine Dion
Christina Aguilera
Cliff Richard
Coldplay
David Bowie
Def Leppard
Depeche Mode
Dido
Dire Straits
Duran Duran
Elton John
Elvis
Eminem
Eric Clapton/ Cream
Fleetwood Mac
Frank Sinatra
Franz Ferdinand
Genesis
George Michael/ Wham
Green Day
Guns n' Roses
INXS
Iron Maiden
Jennifer Lopez
Jimi Hendrix
Johnny Cash
Joy Division
Justin Timberlake
KISS
Kylie
Led Zeppelin
Linkin Park
Madonna
Mariah Carey
Metallica
Michael Jackson
Motley Crue
Motorhead
Nirvana
Oasis
Ozzy Osbourne
Pearl Jam
Phil Collins
Pink Floyd
Prince
Queen
R.E.M.
Radiohead
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Robbie Williams
Rod Stewart
Rolling Stones
Sex Pistols
Shania Twain
Simply Red
Smiths/ Morrissey
Spice Girls
Stone Roses
T-Rex/ Marc Bolan
The Beach Boys
The Beastie Boys
The Beatles
The Clash
The Corrs
The Cure
The Darkness
The Doors
The Eagles
The Grateful Dead
The Jam
The Libertines/ Pete Doherty
The Police/ Sting
The Who
Tina Turner
Tom Jones
Travis
U2
UB40
Van Halen
Westlife
Whitney Houston
Blues
Classical
Country
Dance
Easy Listening
Folk
Indie/ Britpop
Irish Folk/ Traditional
Jazz
Metal
Other Music Memorabilia
Pop
Pop & Beat: 1960s
Punk/ New Wave
R&B/ Soul
Rap/ Hip Hop
Reggae/ Ska
Rock
World Music
Other Music Formats
Records

The band was known for its unique and eclectic songwriting style—which fused elements of rock, folk music, bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, psychedelia, and gospel—and for live performances of long modal jams.

The Grateful Dead's fans, some of whom followed the band from concert to concert for years, were known as Deadheads and were renowned for their dedication to the band's music. Many followers referred to the band simply as The Dead.

The Grateful Dead became the de facto resident band of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, with the early sound heavily influenced by LSD-soaked Acid Tests, as well as R&B. Their musical influences varied widely with input from the psychedelic rock of the era, combined with blues, jazz, rock and roll, and bluegrass. These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead "the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world." .

Membership

Lead guitarist Jerry Garcia was the de facto bandleader; however, although he was often seen both by the public and the media as 'leader' or a primary spokesperson for the Grateful Dead, he was reluctant to be seen that way, especially since Garcia and the other group members saw themselves as equal participants and contributors to their collective musical and creative output. Jerry, a native of San Francisco, grew up in the Excelsior District. One of his main influences was bluegrass music, and Garcia also performed—on banjo, his other great instrumental love—in the bluegrass band Old and in the Way with mandolinist David Grisman. Classically trained trumpeter Phil Lesh played bass guitar. Bob Weir, the youngest original member of the group, played rhythm guitar. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan played keyboards, harmonica and was also a group vocalist until shortly before his death in 1973 at the age of 27. All of the previously mentioned Grateful Dead members shared in vocal performance of songs. Bill Kreutzmann played drums, and in 1967 was joined by a second drummer, New York native Mickey Hart, who also played a wide variety of other percussion instruments. Hart quit the Grateful Dead in 1971, embarrassed by the financial misdealings of his father, Dead money manager Lenny Hart, and leaving Kreutzmann once again as the sole percussionist. Hart rejoined the Dead for good in 1975. Tom "TC" Constanten was added as a second keyboardist from 1968 to 1970, while Pigpen also played various percussion instruments and sang. After Constanten's departure, Pigpen reclaimed his position as sole organist. Less than two years later, in late 1971, Pigpen was joined by another keyboardist, Keith Godchaux, who played grand piano alongside Pigpen's Hammond B-3 organ. In early 1972, Keith's wife, Donna Godchaux, joined the Dead as a backing vocalist. Keith and Donna left the band in 1979, and Brent Mydland joined as keyboardist and vocalist. Keith Godchaux died in a car accident in 1980. Brent Mydland was the keyboardist for the Dead for 11 years until his death in 1990. He became the third Dead keyboardist to pass away. Almost immediately, former The Tubes keyboardist Vince Welnick joined on keyboards and vocals. For a year and a half, Welnick was often joined by special guest Bruce Hornsby on piano; Welnick died on June 2, 2006, reportedly a suicide. Robert Hunter and John Perry Barlow were the band's primary lyricists. Owsley "Bear" Stanley was the Grateful Dead's soundman for many years; he was also one of the largest suppliers of LSD.

Read more at Wikipedia.org