DID YOU KNOW...
...THIS ABOUT JERRY'S FAMILY?
Jerry's older brother, Tiff accidentally chopped off Jerry's right middle finger while the two were chopping wood.
In the Spring of 1948, Jerry watched his father being swept to his death in a river in California while on a fishing trip. After the accident, Jerry went to live with his mother's parents in San Francisco.
At age 10, Jerry went to live his mother at a sailor's hotel and bar that she ran near the city's waterfront. He spent much of his time listening to the stories that the old tenants told, or sat alone, reading
Disney and horror comics and poring through science-fiction novels.
Jerry's mother bought him his first electric guitar for his 16th birthday.
...THIS ABOUT THE BAND?
The band's original name was Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, brought together by Jerry in 1963, Bob Weir, Ron McKernan(B.K.A. Pigpen), and Jerry made up this jug band.
Mother McCree's style became boring for the members, changed the name to the Warlocks, an electric unit, and gained two other members, Bill Kreutzmann, and Phil Lesh.
In November of 1965, the band discovered that there was another band with the name of the Warlocks and,
According to Jerry, "We never decided to be the Grateful Dead. What happened was, the Grateful Dead came up as a suggestion because we were at Phil's house one day; he had a big Oxford dictionary. I opened it up, and the first thing I saw was the 'grateful dead.' It said that on the page, and it was so astonishing."
The Dead were invited by Ken Kesey (author of One Who Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest) to be the house band for collective LSD drug experiments known as Grateful Dead Trips. December 4, 1965 was the band's first attendance.
December 10, 1965 was the band's first show as the Dead. It was a benefit at the Fillmore Auditorium for the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
January 21-23, 1966, the Dead performed at the Trip's Festival.
In June of 1966, the band's first single is released on Scorpio label: "Don't Ease Me In"/"Stealin'."
In September of 1966, 
December 31, 1966, The First Annual, Grateful Dead New Year's Eve show, at the Fillmore Auditorium, costarring Jefferson Airplane.
March 17, 1967, Grateful Dead is released on Warner Bros.
June 1, 1967, the band offers a free concert in Tompkins Square Park, New York City.
September 29, 1967, Micky Hart joins the band.
The first issue of Rolling Stone Magazine draws national attention to the Narcotics Raid at 710 Ashbury St. arresting Pigpen, Bob Weir and nine others for possession of marijuana.
In October of 1968, the Dead move from Haight-Ashbury to Marin County.
August 16, 1969,
WOODSTOCK!
Jerry claims "We were just plumb atrocious"
December 6, 1969, a gun-toting spectator is killed by Hell's Angels at a concert in Altamont. END OF HIPPE ERA!
In March of 1970, Micky Hart's father, Lenny, the band's business manager, is discovered embezzling roughly $150,000 from the Dead. He goes to jail.
March 17, 1970, CLASSIC DEAD. The band performs with the
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall, in Buffalo, NY
August 18, 1970, "Truckin'" becomes a stoner anthem when the band performs it at the Fillmore West.
February 18, 1971 is Mickey Hart's last performance with the band.
In October of 1971, "Dead Head" term is brought to life from the Skull and Roses album.
October 19, 1971, Keith Godchaux joins the band.
Late 1971, Truckin' enters the
Billboard chart at No. 64.
December of 1971, Donna Godchaux joins the band.
May 11, 1972, the Dead's longest version of "Dark Star" is released. It lasted for 40 minutes!
June 17, 1972, Pigpen's last performance at Hollywood Bowl.
March 8, 1973, Pigpen dies at age 27, of liver failure.
October 15, 1973, the Dead release Wake of the Flood on Grateful Dead Records.
October 16-20, 1974, Dead film at Winterland Arena for The Grateful Dead Movie, and announce plans for "retirement."
November 11, 1978, First
Saturday Night Live appearance.
February 1, 1979, Keith and Donna Godchaux are asked to leave the band.
April 22, 1979, Brent Mydland joins the band.
July 23, 1980, Keith Godchaux dies from injuries suffered in a car accident.
April 13, 1982, First Letterman appearance.
January 18, 1985, Jerry is BUSTED for drug possession in Golden Gate Park. Does community service, and enters rehab.
June 26-July 7, 1986, the Dead tour with Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.
July 10, 1986, Jerry collapses in a diabetic coma, is unconscious for 24 hours. Tour canceled.
December 15, 1986, Concerts resume in Oakland. First show back, Jerry sings "Touch of Grey," "I will survive."
September 17, 1987, Jerry and Bob Weir perform on
Letterman .
September 26, 1987, "Touch of Grey" becomes the band's first and only hit single, reaching No. 9 on the
Billboard .
In March of 1988, Ventura County Fair Board cancels the Dead's annual show complaining of DeadHead intoxication and public urination.
April 17, 1989, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is introduced at concerts.
October 9, 1989, Dead perform "Dark Star" in Hampton, Va., for the first time since 7/13/84.
July 26, 1990, Mydland dies at age 37 from a cocaine-and-morphine overdose.
September 7, 1990, Vince Welnick joins the band.
October 25, 1991, Bill Graham is killed in a helicopter crash at age 60. A free concert in memory of him is given at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, performed by the Dead, John Fogerty, Neil Young, and others, on November 3, 1991.
In March of 1992, the Dead donates $5,000 to the Lithuanian Olympic basketball team. The team is supplied with tie-dyed Dead warm-up suits and T-shirts.
In July of 1992, Garcia-designed ties are introduced at New York's
Bloomingdale's for $30 each.
August 4, 1992, Jerry becomes ill with an enlarged heart and congested lungs. Tour canceled. Jerry cuts down on smoking and starts exercising.
December 2, 1992, the Dead resume touring with a concert in Denver.
January 19, 1994, the Dead is inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, Jerry isn't physically present, but is present as a life-size cardboard cutout.
July 2, 1995, the Dead posts a letter to fans: "Want to end the touring life of the Grateful Dead? Allow bottle-throwing gate-crashers to keep on thinking they're cool anarchists instead of the creeps they are," after 3,000 fans riot at a Dead concert near Indianapolis.
July 9, 1995, After more than 2, 200 concerts, playing over 430 songs more than 30, 000 times, the Dead perform at their last concert ever, at Chicago's Soldier Field. One month before the tragic death of JERRY GARCIA on August 9, 1995.
...THESE OTHER FACTS?
On October 6, 1966, California criminalizes LSD.
On September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix dies at age 27 as a result of a drug overdose.
On October 4, 1970, Janis Joplin dies at age 27 as a result of a drug overdose.
In February of 1987, Ben & Jerry's introduces Cherry Garcia ice cream.
On June 20, 1992, Al and Tipper Gore rock out at a Dead show in Washington, D.C.
In December of 1992, Hillary Rodham Clinton orders J. Garcia ties for the President-elect.
On June 25, 1995, three Deadheads are struck by lightning at a concert in Washington, D.C. and survive.
On July 5, 1995, two fans die-apparently of drug overdoses-before a concert near St. Louis. A lodge porch at the concert campground collapses that same night, injuring more than 100 people.
REST IN PEACE JERRY:
AUGUST 1, 1942 - AUGUST 9, 1995
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