jerry garcia died of a heart attack 14 years ago today

how strange was it that jerry garcia's long strange (beautiful) trip ended with a heart attack at a residential drug treatment center on august 9, 1994? garcia had celebrated his 53rd birthday - and had played his last concert with the grateful dead a month earlier, on july 9, at soldier field in chicago. a life cut way too short.

1995 was a very significant year in my life. garcia's untimely death that summer was but one small memory in a tapestry that included the death of my father, followed by birth of my daughter, and a fire in the st. george cooperative apartment building that we lived in at the time. that fire (and, ironically, the resulting water damage from the fire fighting efforts) left us among the sizable chunk of building residents physically displaced for a few months while our apartments were reconstructed.

1995 is not a year that i'll ever forget.

r.i.p. jerry garcia

happy birthday jerry garcia - 67 years old in heaven today!

jerry garcia was born on august 1, 1942 - 67 years ago today! tragically, he died almost 14 years ago, on august 9, 1995 - he had just passed his 53rd birthday. while jerry was know primarily for his founding role in the grateful dead, he had many side projects (including the jerry garcia band) and interests (painting).

last year, it was announced that a film (based on material from the "dark star" biography) of jerry's early, pre-grateful dead, years was in development. until that film is produced and released, there is plenty of jerry material out there to enjoy.

happy birthday jerry!

take some time to remember him today!

jerry garcia film planned, based on "dark star" biography!

hot off the press: the movie rights to robert greenfield's "dark star: an oral biography of jerry garcia," have been acquired by a trio of producers. a film based on jerry garcia's early, pre-grateful dead, years is planned (although no production details were provided).

here is a brief description of the project from the billboard coverage:

"The untitled project will focus primarily on Garcia's early life in the Bay Area before he joined the band that would become the Grateful Dead -- a period that includes a stint in the military, a life-changing car accident and his first creative encounters with members of the Northern California music scene such as future Dead bassist Phil Lesh."



sounds pretty cool. wonder who'll get the job of "captain trips" himself?!