Happy Birthday, Jerry

Today marks the 83rd birthday of the late, great founder of The Grateful Dead, and godfather of the hippie movement, Jerry Garcia. Two of my yearbook editors gave me this poster when they graduated. They heard a lot of Dead tunes in their time in yearbook.

I love his guitar style. Jody and I saw our first Dead show 53 years ago this month, August 1972, in Veneta, on the same grounds of the Oregon Country Fair where I blipped three weeks ago. Sacred ground. Those who rate Grateful Dead shows place this one in the top five of their 2318 concerts of all time. I was 19, and Jody was 18, just two innocent lovebirds traveling in my orange VW Love Bug, laughing and having the time of our lives. It was hot, 103 degrees, and we sought shelter along the shaded edges of the fields under tall maples and oaks. At some point, I knew I had to get a closer look. I skinnied my way (my nickname was then “Bones”) up to the second row, maybe 10-12 feet away from Jerry. I witnessed what many call the greatest “Birdsong” ever performed, this song about Janis Joplin. Maybe the greatest concert moments I ever witnessed, including The Beatles from row three in Portland in 1965. Here’s that “Birdsong” if you care to groove for a few minutes. Happy birthday, Jerry. Thanks for the music.


https://youtu.be/Xe2u7ogAgtQ?si=NAYOqt-VZXUM6NRz