Posted on 08/22/2005 12:35:46 PM PDT by Cagey
Washington -- As Grateful Dead fans everywhere know, the music never stopped when Jerry Garcia died 10 years ago, and now a grassroots campaign wants to memorialize the Dead's driving force with a U.S. Postal Service stamp.
The centerpiece of the effort, so far conducted in the mellow fashion one would expect from Deadheads, is an online petition, first posted on Aug. 9, the 10th anniversary of Garcia's death at age 53.
Everyone involved recognizes that a Garcia stamp would be a leap for the post office by honoring a rock-era figure associated with hippies, casual drug use and a way-laidback lifestyle. But they proudly point out that Garcia was a great musician whose work blended many styles, a father figure to millions of Americans and others around the world and a philanthropist.
Besides, they say, in 1993, the Postal Service honored Elvis Presley -- who died of a heart attack after years of abusing prescription drugs -- and ended up with a best-seller. About 517 million of the 29-cent Elvis stamps were sold, and the Postal Service ended up with a $36 million profit. About 95 percent of those stamps are still in collectors' hands.
So far, the Garcia petition to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee has garnered more than 6,000 signatures without any publicity to speak of other than word of mouth or by fans finding the effort at www.petitiononline.com/Garcia/petition.html. Many of the signatures are accompanied by heartfelt messages, part of a response that has overwhelmed the petition's organizer, Steve Castonguay, a 40-year-old machinist who lives outside Rochester, N.Y.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
You could not be more wrong, FRiend. In their prime, the Grateful Dead were, IIRC, the highest grossing (no comments please) concert act in America. America was not at all indifferent to the Dead.
That they might not have had the publicity of elvis means only that.
How about a triptych with Timothy Leary and Ken Kesey?
Hell of a lot better than another useless, dumbass dead politician uglying up our mail.
Not at all, but you're changing the question when you don't like the answer.
The point is that America was not at all indifferent to the dead before garcia died. That's the context, if you want to talk talent and quality, that's fine.
I don't know what kind of music you like, but I bet I have a recording of Garcia playing that kind of music quite competently.
I tend these days to prefer the acoustic work he did with David Grisman. And Old and In the Way (in the 70's). He was a hell of a banjo player (who chickened out on his way to try out for Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in the 60's)
"In their prime, the Grateful Dead were, IIRC, the highest grossing (no comments please) concert act in America."
I'm not taking anything away from them there. They really were a live band and had huge concert grosses in part because of a dedicated following of people with little more to do than follow the band and stay high. My point is that they were not the American icon that Elvis was.
That said, they, like Elvis, invented a genre, in my opinion. I didn't particularly like the Dead but I do respect their originality. Still, compared to Elvis, I think America as a whole was indifferent to the Dead. Dead-Heads, however are a different story.
I was talking to an office mate about the death of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia.
"I guess it won't be long before they have a commemorative stamp for him," she said.
"Yeah," I said, "a food stamp."
Me too.
Jerry, your wheel, it's still turning!
Jerry Garcia was a heroin addict and his unfixed problem hurt his music and his band badly, setting a terrible example for youth. But with misgivings, I'm OK with the stamp. Hasn't Andy Warhol's art been on a stamp? Those who deify such flawed men and women are just stupid, but we can nonetheless recognize artistic contributions and greatness.
To those of you on this thread who enjoyed Jerry's music and wonder where you might hear that kind of thing now -
Go see the David Nelson band (he played some of the twangy sounds on American Beauty and Workingman's dead).
One, they often play a GREAT version of wheel, and 2, the guitar player (Barry Sless) is really quite good on the 6 string and the pedal steel.
Oh..now...wait a minute! I mean..fun is fun...but...this time Senegal is leaving us in the dust!
May '77 was great, but I really think the question comes down to what era od Dead one like the most. Lots of folks like the early '70s stuff best, '74 had some really hot stuff, although most of my hardcore friends really like '71 and '72.
I personally like early '90s Dead the best '89-'91.
But it's all good.
One other thing that I've hypothesized, but rarely gets discussed:
Jerry Garcia likely played music before more live listeners than any musician in history. When you look at the size and frequency of Dead concerts, coupled with JGB, I'm hard pressed to imagine any musician who could have played live for more people.
It ranks right up there for me, but I'm partial to '72. The best thing about 5/8/77 for me is St. Stephen, the bridge is pretty unique.
Oh, on your hypothesis. You might be right, but I'd guess Dylan.
Without a Net was a great album. I liked a lot of Dead stuff and went to a couple of concerts which I enjoyed. I remember where I was when Jerry died, on Cape Cod.
I don't think Jerry's drugs hurt the band as much as Phil Lesh's brutal bass-guitar work and Bob Weir's weak guitar and early 1960s stage behavior.
The person who said Elvis had no talent is whacked. He could sing anything. Best male voice since John McCormack.
Oh, and McCormack has a U.S. stamp too.
I am a fan of their music. But I don't think Garcia should be on a postage stamp. I think those chosen to be on a postage stamp should have served this country and made for a better United States through their service.
Q: Why do Deadheads wave their hands in front of their faces when they dance?
A: To keep the music out of their eyes.
Hey, if Mr. Swivel Hips - whose obscene lower half could not even be shown on national television and who ended his life in a drug-induced fog - can be on a stamp, so can Jerry.
Well said.
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