The Gratefull Dead essays

The Gratefull Dead essays In San Francisco, on August 1, 1942, Jerome John Garcia was born. This marked the beginning of a long strange trip. Jose Garcia, Jeromes father named his son after his favorite Broadway musical composer, Jerome Kern. Tired of the name Jerome, Jose and his family began to call him Jerry. Garcia was surrounded by music as a child. His father would play him to sleep at night. His mother listened to opera and his maternal grandmother loved country music. Family gatherings tended to be musical, too, for his fathers side of the family would gather round and sing songs together. Young Jerry and his family took a trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, when he was four; he and his brother were given the job of splitting firewood for the family that night. Horsing around, Jerry and Tiff were teasing each other while chopping the firewood. Jerry accidentally placed his hand in the way of the axe, lost half of his middle finger on his right hand. He screamed. I screamed. We both screamed. It was an accident. I didnt do it maliciously. I was a kid. I was eight and Jerry was four. We were little guys. Missing half a finger, Jerry had to press through life learning different types of instruments. He used his disability to his advantage by striving harder. A year after the loss of Jerrys finger, tragedy struck the Garcias again. Fly fishing in a river, Jose Garcia suddenly lost his footing and was swept away by the raging current. After his fathers death Garcias life changed forever. Moving in with his grandmother who had a strong passion for country music gave Jerry a huge influence for that style of music Turning fifteen, Jerry got turned on to marijuana. Me and a friend went up into the hills with two joints, and just got so high, laughed and roared and went skipping down the streets doing funny things and just having a helluva time, said Garcia. Garc...