View source for Grateful Dead

{{Short description|American rock band (1965–1995)}}
{{About|the rock band|the folktale|Grateful dead (folklore)|other uses|Grateful dead (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Grateful Dead
| background        = group_or_band
| image             = Grateful Dead (1970).png
| landscape         = yes
| alt               = The Grateful Dead in 1970, in a rural setting – Bill Kreutzmann, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Phil Lesh
| caption           = A promotional photo of Grateful Dead in 1970. Left to right: [[Bill Kreutzmann]], [[Ron McKernan]], [[Jerry Garcia]], [[Bob Weir]], [[Mickey Hart]], and [[Phil Lesh]].
| alias             = The Warlocks
| origin            = [[Palo Alto, California]], U.S.
| genre             = <!--PLEASE SEE TALK PAGE BEFORE ADDING ANY GENRES HERE-->[[Rock music|Rock]]
| discography       = [[Grateful Dead discography]]
| years_active      = <!--PLEASE DO NOT ADD 2015, PER THE TALK PAGE-->1965–1995
| label             = {{flatlist|
*[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
*[[Grateful Dead Records|Grateful Dead]]
*[[Arista Records|Arista]]
*[[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino]]
*[[Sunflower Records|Sunflower]]
*[[United Artists Records|United Artists]]
  }}
| spinoffs          = {{flatlist|
<!--Multiple members-->
*[[The Other Ones]]
*[[The Dead (band)|The Dead]]
*[[Furthur (band)|Furthur]]
*[[Dead & Company]]
<!-- Jerry Garcia -->
*[[New Riders of the Purple Sage]]
*[[Old & In the Way]]
*[[Legion of Mary (band)|Legion of Mary]]
*[[Reconstruction (band)|Reconstruction]]
*[[Jerry Garcia Band]]
*[[Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band]]
<!-- Bob Weir -->
*[[Kingfish (band)|Kingfish]]
*[[Bobby and the Midnites]]
*[[RatDog]]
*[[Wolf Bros]]
<!-- Phil Lesh -->
*[[Phil Lesh and Friends]]
<!-- Bill Kreutzmann -->
*[[Rhythm Devils]]
*[[Go Ahead (band)|Go Ahead]]
*[[BK3]]
*[[7 Walkers]]
*[[Billy & the Kids]]
<!-- Donna Jean Godchaux -->
*[[Heart of Gold Band]]
*[[Donna Jean Godchaux Band]]
<!-- Vince Welnick -->
*[[Missing Man Formation (band)|Missing Man Formation]]
}}
| website           = {{URL|dead.net}}
| past_members      = {{plainlist|
*[[Jerry Garcia]]
*[[Bob Weir]]
*[[Ron "Pigpen" McKernan]]
*[[Phil Lesh]]
*[[Bill Kreutzmann]]
*[[Mickey Hart]]
*[[Tom Constanten]]
*[[Keith Godchaux]]
*[[Donna Jean Godchaux]]
*[[Brent Mydland]]
*[[Vince Welnick]]
  }}
}}

The '''Grateful Dead''' was an American [[rock music|rock]] band formed in [[Palo Alto, California]], in 1965.<ref>{{cite book|last=Meriwether|first=Nicholas G.|title=Reading the Grateful Dead: A Critical Survey |publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2012|page=280|isbn=978-0-8108-8371-0}}</ref><ref name="musicbox">{{cite web |url=http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-mcree.html |title=Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions|access-date=August 21, 2012 |publisher=The Music Box, Inc|year=1999|author=Metzger, John |work=The Music Box|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927161321/http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-mcree.html |archive-date=September 27, 2012}}</ref> Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, [[blues]], [[jazz]], [[Folk music|folk]], [[country music|country]], [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]], [[rock and roll]], [[gospel music|gospel]], [[reggae]], and [[world music]] with [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]],<ref>"purveyors of freely improvised space music" – [http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=932 ''Blender Magazine'', May 2003] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608075415/http://blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=932 |date=June 8, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{"'}}Dark Star', both in its title and in its structure (designed to incorporate improvisational exploration), is the perfect example of the kind of 'space music' that the Dead are famous for. Oswald's titular pun 'Grayfolded' adds the concept of folding to the idea of space, and rightly so when considering the way he uses sampling to fold the Dead's musical evolution in on itself." – Islands of Order, Part 2, by Randolph Jordan, in ''[http://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/islands_part2.html Offscreen Journal]'' {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920212731/http://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/islands_part2.html |date=September 20, 2007}}, edited by Donato Totaro, Ph.D, film studies lecturer at Concordia University since 1990.</ref> the band is famous for [[Musical improvisation|improvisation]] during their [[Concert|live performances]],<ref name="encyclobrit1">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117536/the-Grateful-Dead|title=Grateful Dead|access-date=February 4, 2007|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc|year=2007|author=Santoro, Gene|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322133907/https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117536/the-Grateful-Dead|archive-date=March 22, 2007}}</ref><ref name="rockhallgd1">{{cite web|url=http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=113|title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum&nbsp;– Grateful Dead detail|access-date=January 16, 2007|publisher=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc|work=Inductees|format=asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123064938/http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=113 <!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=November 23, 2006}}</ref> and for their devoted fan base, known as "[[Deadhead|Deadheads]]". According to the musician and writer [[Lenny Kaye]], the music of the Grateful Dead "touches on ground that most other groups don't even know exists."<ref name="livedeadrs1">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/album/2747/21341|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201162917/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/album/2747/21341|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2013|title=The Grateful Dead&nbsp;– ''Live/Dead''|access-date=October 18, 2010|magazine=Rolling Stone|year=1970|author=Kaye, Lenny}}</ref> For the range of their influences and the structure of their live performances, the Grateful Dead are considered "the pioneering godfathers of the [[jam band]] world".<ref>{{cite book |author=Garofalo, Reebee |title=Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA |publisher=Allyn & Bacon |year=1997 |isbn=0205137032 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rockinoutpopular00garo_0/page/219 219] |url=https://archive.org/details/rockinoutpopular00garo_0/page/219}}</ref>

The Grateful Dead was founded in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] during the rise of the [[counterculture of the 1960s]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-grateful-dead/bio/|title=The Grateful Dead Biography|website=rockhall.com|publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum|access-date=May 7, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508043051/http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-grateful-dead/bio/|archive-date=May 8, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Sylvan2002">{{cite book|first=Robin|last=Sylvan|title=Traces of the Spirit: The Religious Dimensions of Popular Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXJikQ7FNUsC&pg=PA86|year=2002|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=978-0-8147-9809-6|pages=86–|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512202539/http://books.google.com/books?id=vXJikQ7FNUsC&pg=PA86|archive-date=May 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_23546420/uc-santa-cruzs-grateful-dead-archive-offers-reason|title=UC Santa Cruz's Grateful Dead archive offers a reason to visit the campus this summer|last1=Barnes|first1=Luke|date=June 26, 2013|website=santacruzsentinel.com|publisher=The Santa Cruz Sentinel|access-date=May 7, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508030642/http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_23546420/uc-santa-cruzs-grateful-dead-archive-offers-reason|archive-date=May 8, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Meriwether |first=Nicholas G |date=August 5, 2023 |title=A map of where Grateful Dead lived, worked and played in SF |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/grateful-dead-san-francisco-map-18274802.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805013324/https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/grateful-dead-san-francisco-map-18274802.php |archive-date=August 5, 2023 |access-date=April 11, 2024 |work=SFGATE |language=en}}</ref> The band's founding members were [[Jerry Garcia]] ([[electric guitar|lead guitar]] and vocals), [[Bob Weir]] (rhythm guitar and vocals), [[Ron "Pigpen" McKernan]] ([[keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[harmonica]], and vocals), [[Phil Lesh]] ([[bass guitar]] and vocals), and [[Bill Kreutzmann]] ([[drum kit|drums]]).<ref>''Rolling Stone'', p. 332</ref> Members of the Grateful Dead, originally known as '''the Warlocks''', had played together in various Bay Area ensembles, including the traditional [[jug band]] Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. Lesh was the last member to join the Warlocks before they changed their name to Grateful Dead, replacing Dana Morgan Jr., who had played bass for a few gigs. Drummer [[Mickey Hart]] and non-performing lyricist [[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]] joined in 1967. With the exception of McKernan, who died in 1973, and Hart, who left the band from 1971 to 1974, the core of the band stayed together for its entire 30-year history.<ref>Garofalo, p. 218</ref> Other official members of the band included [[Tom Constanten]] (keyboards from 1968 to 1970), [[John Perry Barlow]] (non-performing lyricist from 1971 to 1995),{{#tag:ref|Although he is identified as an official member on the band's website, Barlow (who frequently collaborated with Weir, Mydland and Welnick) was not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. {{cite web|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/grateful-dead|title=The Grateful Dead|publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=March 11, 2017}}|}} [[Keith Godchaux]] (keyboards and occasional vocals from 1971 to 1979), [[Donna Godchaux]] (vocals from 1972 to 1979), [[Brent Mydland]] (keyboards and vocals from 1979 to 1990), and [[Vince Welnick]] (keyboards and vocals from 1990 to 1995).<ref name=Dead.net-band/> [[Bruce Hornsby]] (accordion, piano, vocals) was a [[Concert tour|touring]] member from 1990 to 1992, as well as a guest with the band on occasion before and after the tours.

After Garcia's death in 1995, former members of the band, along with other musicians, toured as [[The Other Ones]] in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and as [[The Dead (band)|The Dead]] in 2003, 2004, and 2009. In 2015, the four surviving core members marked the band's 50th anniversary in a [[Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead|series of concerts]] in [[Santa Clara, California]], and [[Chicago]] that were billed as their last performances together.<ref name="dead50">{{cite web|url=http://www.dead50.net/|title=Dead 50|publisher=Grateful Dead}}</ref> There have also been several spin-offs featuring one or more core members, such as [[Dead & Company]], [[Furthur (band)|Furthur]], the [[Rhythm Devils]], [[Phil Lesh and Friends]], [[RatDog]], and [[Billy & the Kids]].

Despite having only one Top-40 single in their 30-year career, "[[Touch of Grey]]" (1987), the Grateful Dead remained among the highest-grossing American touring acts for decades. They gained a committed fanbase by word of mouth and through the free exchange of their live recordings, encouraged by the band's allowance of [[taper (concert)|taping]]. In 2024, they broke the record for most Top-40 albums on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/grateful-dead-record-chart-history-a02b9b007bc548efc0f04e23496b8378|title=The Grateful Dead make Billboard chart history despite disbanding in 1995|website=[[Associated Press|AP News]]|access-date=February 7, 2024|first=Mark|last=Kennedy|date=February 5, 2024}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked the Grateful Dead number 57 on its 2011 list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time|100 Greatest Artists of All Time]]".<ref name=rollstone>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/grateful-dead-19691231 |title=The Greatest Artists of all Time|magazine=Rolling Stone|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505032130/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/grateful-dead-19691231|archive-date=May 5, 2011}}</ref> The band was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-grateful-dead|title=The Grateful Dead: inducted in 1994|publisher=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum|access-date=April 9, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416134755/http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-grateful-dead|archive-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref> and a recording of their [[Cornell 5/8/77|May 8, 1977 performance]] at [[Cornell University]]'s [[Barton Hall]] was added to the [[National Recording Registry]] of the [[Library of Congress]] in 2012 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-107.html|title=New Entries to the National Recording Registry|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=July 25, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913120706/http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-107.html|archive-date=September 13, 2013}}</ref> In 2024, Weir, Lesh, Kreutzmann, and Hart were recognized as part of the [[Kennedy Center Honors]].<ref name="Grateful Dead, Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt on 2024 Kennedy Center Honors list">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/07/17/nx-s1-5043409/2024-kennedy-center-honors|title=Grateful Dead, Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt on 2024 Kennedy Center Honors list|work=NPR |date=July 18, 2024 |publisher=Isabella Gomez |last1=Sarmiento |first1=Isabella Gomez }}</ref>

==Formation (1965–1966)==
[[File:Grateful Dead at the Warfield-01.jpg|thumb|left|Grateful Dead at [[Warfield Theatre]] in 1980. Left to right: [[Jerry Garcia]], [[Bill Kreutzmann]], [[Bob Weir]], [[Mickey Hart]], [[Phil Lesh]]. Not pictured: [[Brent Mydland]].]]
The Grateful Dead began their career as the Warlocks, a group formed in early 1965 from the remnants of a [[Palo Alto, California]] [[jug band]] called [[Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (album)|Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions]] and members of The Wildwood Boys (Jerry Garcia, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, David Nelson, Robert Hunter, and Norm Van Maastricht).<ref>Metzger, John. [http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-mcree.html ''Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions'' album review] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927161321/http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-mcree.html |date=September 27, 2012}}, The Music Box, May 1999.</ref> As The Wildwood Boys they played regularly at The Tangent, a folk music coffeehouse operated by Stanford Medical Center doctors Stuart "Stu" Goldstein and David "Dave" Shoenstadt on University Avenue in Palo Alto (1963).<ref>{{cite web |title=Stu Goldstein as the emcee at The Tangent |url=https://www.gdao.org/items/show/826709 |website=Grateful Dead Archive Online |access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref> As the Warlocks, the band's first show was at Magoo's Pizza Parlor, at 639 Santa Cruz Avenue in suburban [[Menlo Park, California|Menlo Park]], on May 5, 1965, now a Harvest furniture store. The band continued playing bar shows,<ref>Kreutzmann, Bill; Eisen, Benjy (2015). [https://books.google.com/books?id=LkavBwAAQBAJ&dq=Bikini-A-Go-Go+Hayward&pg=PA33 ''Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead'']. St. Martin's Press. page 33 {{ISBN|978-1-250-03379-6}}.</ref> like Frenchy's Bikini-A-Go-Go<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c8MtVkAglysC&q=%22Frenchy%E2%80%99s+Bikini-A-Go-Go%22+Hayward&pg=PT38|title=Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead|first=Phil|last=Lesh|date=September 3, 2007|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=9780316027816|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51651709/oakland-tribune/|title=Clipped From Oakland Tribune|newspaper=Oakland Tribune|date=September 13, 1965|pages=13|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> in [[Hayward, California|Hayward]] and, importantly, five sets a night, five nights a week, for six weeks, at the ''In Room''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jerrygarciasbrokendownpalaces.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-in-room-1048-old-county-road.html|website=Jerry's Brokendown Palaces|title=The In Room, 1048 Old County Road, Belmont, CA|date=January 24, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belmont.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/158/520|title=Historic Photo - Old County Rd (Looking South)|website=City of Belmont}}</ref> in [[Belmont, California|Belmont]] as the Warlocks,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dead.net/show/may-05-1965|title=Magoo's Pizza Parlor&nbsp;– May 5, 1965&nbsp;– Grateful Dead|date=May 5, 1965 |publisher=Dead.net|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108115400/http://dead.net/show/may-05-1965|archive-date=November 8, 2011}}</ref> but quickly changed the band's name after finding out that a different band known as the Warlocks had put out a record under that name. ([[The Velvet Underground]] also had to change its name from the Warlocks.)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Act I – It's Alive|series=[[Long Strange Trip]]|season=1|number=1|date=June 2, 2017|network=[[Amazon Video|Prime Video]]|minutes=32:45}}</ref> 

The name "[[Grateful dead (folklore)|Grateful Dead]]" was chosen from a dictionary. According to Lesh, Garcia "picked up an old ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Britannica]] World Language Dictionary'' ... [and] ... In that silvery elf-voice he said to me, 'Hey, man, how about the Grateful Dead?'"<ref>{{cite book |last=Lesh |first=Phil |author-link=Phil Lesh |date=2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c8MtVkAglysC&q=silvery+elf-voice |title=Searching for the Sound |location=New York, NY |publisher=Little, Brown, and Company |page=62 |isbn=0316009989}}</ref> The definition there was "the soul of a dead person, or his angel, showing gratitude to someone who, as an act of charity, arranged their burial." According to Alan Trist, director of the Grateful Dead's music publisher company Ice Nine, Garcia found the name in the [[Funk & Wagnalls]] ''Folklore Dictionary'', when his finger landed on that phrase while playing a game of [[Fictionary]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MfJ7_5rhq28C |title=Perspectives on the Grateful Dead: Critical Writings |first=Robert G. |last=Weiner |year=1999 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing |page=145 |isbn=0-313-30569-2}}</ref> In the Garcia biography ''Captain Trips'', author Sandy Troy states that the band was smoking the psychedelic [[Dimethyltryptamine|DMT]] at the time.<ref name="CT01">Troy, Sandy, [https://books.google.com/books?id=htmNHAAACAAJ ''Captain Trips: A Biography of Jerry Garcia''] (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 1994). DMT, p. 73; Acid King p. 70; Watts+ p. 85.</ref> The motif of the "grateful dead" appears in folktales from a variety of cultures.<ref name="Boggs, Ralph Steele 1932. p. 113">{{cite book |last1=Boggs |first1=Ralph Steele |last2=Adams |first2=Nicholson B |title=Spanish folktales |date=1932 |publisher=F.S. Crofts |page=113 |oclc=987857114 }}</ref>

The first show under the name Grateful Dead was in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] on December 4, 1965, at one of [[Ken Kesey]]'s [[Acid Tests]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dead.net/show/december-4-1965|title=Big Nig's House&nbsp;– December 4, 1965 &#124; Grateful Dead|date=March 30, 2007 |publisher=Dead.net|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728165518/http://www.dead.net/show/december-4-1965|archive-date=July 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Stanton|first=Scott|title=The Tombstone Tourist|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2003|page=[https://archive.org/details/tombstonetourist00stan_0/page/102 102]|isbn=0-7434-6330-7|url=https://archive.org/details/tombstonetourist00stan_0/page/102}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Herbst|first=Peter|title=The Rolling Stone Interviews: 1967–1980|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]|year=1989|page=186|isbn=0-312-03486-5}}</ref> Scholar Michael Kaler has written that the Dead's participation in the Acid Tests was crucial both to the development of their improvisational vocabulary and to their bonding as a band, with the group having set out to foster an intra-band musical telepathy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get Shown the Light: Chapter 8 [1] |url=https://www.thedaughtersgrimoire.com/getshownthelight1 |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Daughter's Grimoire |language=en}}</ref> Kaler has further pointed out that the Dead's pursuit of a new improvisatory rock language in 1965 chronologically coincided with that same goal's adoption by [[Jefferson Airplane]], [[Pink Floyd]] and [[the Velvet Underground]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=In Conversation with Michael Kaler [1] |url=https://www.thedaughtersgrimoire.com/michaelkalerinterview1 |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Daughter's Grimoire |language=en}}</ref>

Earlier [[demo tape]]s have survived, but the first of over 2,000 concerts known to have been recorded by the band's fans was a show at the [[The Fillmore|Fillmore Auditorium]] in San Francisco on January 8, 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/gd1966-01-08.sbd.bershaw.5410.shnf|title=Grateful Dead Live at Fillmore Auditorium on 1966-01-08 |via=Archive.org|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813153712/http://www.archive.org/details/gd1966-01-08.sbd.bershaw.5410.shnf|archive-date=August 13, 2011|date=January 8, 1966}}</ref> Later that month, the Grateful Dead played at the Trips Festival, a three-day [[psychedelic rock]] weekend party and event produced by [[Ken Kesey]], [[Stewart Brand]], and [[Ramón Sender (composer)|Ramon Sender]], that, in conjunction with the [[Merry Pranksters]], brought the nascent [[hippie]] movement together for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/trips-festival/|title=50 Years Ago: Grateful Dead and Big Brother & the Holding Company Begin the Haight-Ashbury Era at the Trips Festival|website=Ultimate Classic Rock. |date=January 31, 2016|access-date=May 26, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://experiments.californiahistoricalsociety.org/what-was-the-trips-festival/|title=The Trips Festival explained|first=Adam|last=Hirschfelder|date=January 14, 2016|website=Experiments in Environment: The Halprin Workshops, 1966-1971}}</ref>

Other supporting personnel who joined early included [[Rock Scully]], who heard of the band from Kesey and signed on as manager after meeting them at the Big Beat Acid Test; [[Stewart Brand]], "with his side show of taped music and slides of Indian life, a multimedia presentation" at the Big Beat and then, expanded, at the Trips Festival; and [[Owsley Stanley]], the "Acid King" whose [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]] supplied the Acid Tests and who, in early 1966, became the band's financial backer, renting them a house on the fringes of [[Watts, Los Angeles]], and buying them sound equipment. "We were living solely off of Owsley's good graces at that time. ... [His] trip was he wanted to design equipment for us, and we were going to have to be in sort of a lab situation for him to do it", said Garcia.<ref name="CT01" />

==Main career (1967–1995)==
===Pigpen era (1967–1972)===
[[File:1967 Mantra-Rock Dance Avalon poster.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Mantra-Rock Dance]] promotional poster, published in 1967, featuring Grateful Dead]]
One of the group's earliest major performances in 1967 was the [[Mantra-Rock Dance]], a musical event held on January 29, 1967, at the [[Avalon Ballroom]] by the San Francisco [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishna]] temple. The Grateful Dead performed at the event along with the Hare Krishna founder [[Bhaktivedanta Swami]], poet [[Allen Ginsberg]], bands [[Moby Grape]] and [[Big Brother and the Holding Company]] with [[Janis Joplin]], donating proceeds to the temple.<ref>{{citation|last1=Bromley|first1=David G.|author-link1=David G. Bromley|last2=Shinn|first2=Larry D.|author-link2=Larry Shinn|title=Krishna consciousness in the West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F-EuD3M2QYoC&pg=PA106|year=1989|page=106|publisher=[[Bucknell University Press]]|isbn=978-0-8387-5144-2|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610215011/https://books.google.com/books?id=F-EuD3M2QYoC&pg=PA106|archive-date=June 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last1=Chryssides|first1=George D.|author-link=George D. Chryssides|last2=Wilkins|first2=Margaret Z.|title=A reader in new religious movements|year=2006|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HgFlebSZKLcC&pg=PA213|isbn=978-0-8264-6168-1|page=213|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610160834/https://books.google.com/books?id=HgFlebSZKLcC&pg=PA213|archive-date=June 10, 2016}}</ref> The band's first LP, ''[[The Grateful Dead (album)|The Grateful Dead]]'', was released on Warner Brothers in 1967.

On May 3, 1968, the band played a free concert at [[Columbia University]] during the [[1968 Columbia University protests|anti–Vietnam War student protests]] during which students occupied several campus buildings. In order to play, the band, equipment and all, had to be “smuggled” on campus in the back of a bread delivery truck. “We were already jamming away before the security and police could stop us.”<ref>{{cite web | url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/grateful-dead-protest-gig-columbia-1968-video/ | title=Revisit the Grateful Dead's powerful gig at a protest against the Vietnam war, 1968 - Far Out Magazine | date=April 24, 2021 }}</ref>

Classically trained trumpeter [[Phil Lesh]] performed on [[bass guitar]]. [[Bob Weir]], the youngest original member of the group, played [[rhythm guitar]]. [[Ron "Pigpen" McKernan]] played [[Hammond organ|keyboards]], [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], and [[harmonica]] until shortly before [[27 Club|his death in 1973 at the age of 27]]. Garcia, Weir, and McKernan shared the lead vocal duties more or less equally; Lesh sang only a few leads, but his tenor was a key part of the band's three-part vocal harmonies. [[Bill Kreutzmann]] played [[drum]]s, and in September 1967 was joined by a second drummer, New York City native [[Mickey Hart]], who also played a wide variety of other [[percussion instrument]]s.

1970 included tour dates in [[New Orleans]], where the band performed at [[The Warehouse (New Orleans)|The Warehouse]] for two nights. On January 31, 1970, the local police raided their hotel on [[Bourbon Street]] and arrested and charged 19 people with possession of various drugs.<ref>"Drug Raid Nets 19 in French Quarter", ''The Times-Picayune'', February 1, 1970</ref> The second night's concert was performed as scheduled after bail was posted. Eventually, the charges were dismissed, except those against sound engineer [[Owsley Stanley]], who was already facing charges in California for manufacturing LSD. This event was later memorialized in the lyrics of “[[Truckin']]", a single from ''American Beauty'' that reached number 64 on the charts.

Hart took time off from the band in February 1971, after his father, an accountant, absconded with much of the band's money;<ref>{{cite web|last=Planer|first=Lindsay|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rolling-thunder-r102792/review|title=''Rolling Thunder:'' Review|work=AllMusic|access-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref> Kreutzmann was once again as the sole percussionist. Hart rejoined the Grateful Dead for good in October 1974. [[Tom Constanten|Tom "TC" Constanten]] was added as a second keyboardist from 1968 to 1970, to help Pigpen keep up with an increasingly psychedelic sound, while Pigpen transitioned into playing various percussion instruments and vocals.

After Constanten's departure, Pigpen reclaimed his position as sole keyboardist. Less than two years later, in late 1971, Pigpen was joined by another keyboardist, [[Keith Godchaux (musician)|Keith Godchaux]], who played [[grand piano]] alongside Pigpen's [[Hammond organ|Hammond B-3 organ]]. In early 1972, Keith's wife, [[Donna Jean Godchaux]], joined the Grateful Dead as a backing vocalist.

Following the Grateful Dead's "[[Europe '72]]" tour, Pigpen's health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer tour with the band. His final concert appearance was June 17, 1972, at the [[Hollywood Bowl]], in Los Angeles;<ref>{{cite web|title=Pigpen Played His Final Show with the Grateful Dead Today in 1972|url=https://www.relix.com/blogs/detail/pigpen_played_his_final_show_with_the_grateful_dead_today_in_1972|website=Relix|access-date=December 6, 2017|date=June 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>Scott, Dolgushkin, Nixon, "Deadbase X", New Hampshire, p. 23. {{ISBN|1-877657-21-2}}</ref> he died on March 8, 1973, of complications from liver damage.<ref>McNally, Dennis, "A Long Strange Trip", New York 2002, p. 584. {{ISBN|0-7679-1186-5}}</ref>

=== Godchaux era (1972–1979) ===
[[File:Grateful Dead Arrowhead Stadium 1978-07-01.jpg|thumb|right|Grateful Dead at [[Arrowhead Stadium]] in July 1978]]
Pigpen's death did not slow down the Grateful Dead. With the help of manager [[Ronald Leon Rakow|Ron Rakow]], the band soon formed its own record label, [[Grateful Dead Records]].<ref name="vh1.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/grateful_dead/bio.jhtml|title=Grateful Dead Bio &#124; Grateful Dead Career &#124; MTV|publisher=Vh1.com|access-date=February 25, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205220855/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/grateful_dead/bio.jhtml|archive-date=February 5, 2010}}</ref> Later that year, it released its next studio album, the jazz-influenced ''[[Wake of the Flood]],'' which became their biggest commercial success thus far.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pore-Lee-Dunn Productions|url=http://www.classicbands.com/dead.html|title=The Grateful Dead|publisher=Classicbands.com|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709014616/http://www.classicbands.com/dead.html|archive-date=July 9, 2011}}</ref> Meanwhile, capitalizing on the album's success, the band soon went back to the studio, and in June 1974 released another album, ''[[From the Mars Hotel]]''. Not long after, the Dead decided to take a hiatus from live [[Concert tour|touring]]. The band travelled to Europe for a string of shows in September 1974, before performing a series of five concerts at the [[Winterland Ballroom]] in San Francisco in October 1974, and delved into various other projects.<ref>{{cite web |title=Highlights Of The Grateful Dead Performing At Winterland In 1974 |url=https://www.jambase.com/article/highlights-grateful-dead-performing-winterland-1974 |website=JamBase |access-date=May 16, 2019 |date=March 26, 2017}}</ref> The Winterland concerts were filmed, and Garcia compiled the footage into ''[[The Grateful Dead Movie]]'', a feature-length concert film released in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title='The Grateful Dead Movie' Was Released On This Day In 1977 |url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/the-grateful-dead-movie-was-released-on-this-day-in-1977-watch/ |website=L4LM |access-date=May 16, 2019 |date=June 1, 2016}}</ref>

In September 1975, the Dead released their eighth studio album, ''[[Blues for Allah]]''. The band resumed touring in June 1976, playing multiple dates in small theaters, rather than the stadium shows that had become common, and had exhausted them, in 1974.<ref name="vh1.com"/> That same year, they signed with [[Arista Records]], and the new contract produced ''[[Terrapin Station]]'' in July 1977. The band's tour in the spring of that year is held in high regard by its fans, and its [[Cornell 5/8/77|concert of May 8]] at [[Cornell University]] is often considered one of the best performances of its career.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Spevak|first1=Jeff|title=Was '77 Grateful Dead show the best ever?|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/2017/04/06/greatest-grateful-dead-show-ever/100067332/|website=Rochester Democrat and Chronicle|access-date=June 23, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Catalano|first1=Jim|title=40 years later, Grateful Dead's Barton Hall concert shines bright for the fans|url=http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/entertainment/2017/04/27/grateful-dead-ithaca/100843658/|website=Ithaca Journal|access-date=June 23, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Cush|first1=Andy|title=Today Is "Grateful Dead Day", the 40th Anniversary of the Band's Legendary Cornell Show|url=http://www.spin.com/2017/05/grateful-dead-day-cornell-show-40th-anniversary/|website=Spin|access-date=June 23, 2017|date=May 8, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617070703/http://www.spin.com/2017/05/grateful-dead-day-cornell-show-40th-anniversary/|archive-date=June 17, 2017}}</ref> Their [[Dick's Picks Volume 15|September 1977 concert]] at [[Old Bridge Township Raceway Park|Raceway Park]] in [[Old Bridge Township, New Jersey]] was attended by 107,019 people and held the record for [[List of most-attended concerts|largest-ticketed concert]] in the United States by a single act for 47 years.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/george-strait-breaks-concert-attendance-record-1235710814/ |title=George Strait Breaks Attendance Record With Largest Concert Ever Held in the U.S.|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 17, 2024|first=Dave|last=Brooks|date=June 15, 2024}}</ref>

Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux left the band in February 1979, citing artistic differences.

=== Mydland/Welnick era (1979–1995) ===
[[File:Jerry-Mickey at Red Rocks taken 08-11-87.jpg|left|thumb|Grateful Dead performing at [[Red Rocks Amphitheatre]] in 1987]]
Following the Godchauxs' departure, [[Brent Mydland]] joined as keyboardist and vocalist and was considered "the perfect fit." The Godchauxs then formed the [[Heart of Gold Band]], before Keith died in a car accident in July 1980. Mydland was the keyboardist for the Grateful Dead for 11 years until his death by narcotics overdose in July 1990,<ref>{{cite web|title=Grateful Dead Member Died Of Overdose, Coroner Rules|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFDA153DF931A2575BC0A966958260|date=August 12, 1990|work=The New York Times|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212234212/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFDA153DF931A2575BC0A966958260|archive-date=February 12, 2009}}</ref> becoming the third keyboardist to die.

Shortly after Mydland found his place in the early 1980s, Garcia's health began to decline. He became a frequent smoker of "Persian," a type of heroin, and he gained weight at a rapid pace. He lost his liveliness on stage, his voice was strained, and Deadheads worried for his health. After he began to curtail his opiate usage gradually in 1985, Garcia slipped into a [[diabetic coma]] for several days in July 1986, leading to the cancelation of all concerts in the fall of that year. Garcia recovered, the band released ''[[In the Dark (Grateful Dead album)|In the Dark]]'' in July 1987, which became its best-selling studio album and produced its only top-40 single, "[[Touch of Grey]]," Also, that year, the group [[Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead Tour 1987|toured]] with [[Bob Dylan]], as heard on the album ''[[Dylan & the Dead]]''.

Mydland died in July 1990 and [[Vince Welnick]], former keyboardist for [[the Tubes]], joined as a band member, while [[Bruce Hornsby]], who had a successful career with his band the Range, joined temporarily as a bridge to help Welnick learn songs. Both performed on keyboards and vocals—Welnick until the band's end, and Hornsby mainly from 1990 to 1992.

Saxophonist [[Branford Marsalis]] played five concerts with the band between 1990 and 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Andrew |date=2023-08-26 |title=An In-Depth Look At The Long, Fruitful History Between Branford Marsalis & The Grateful Dead |url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/branford-marsalis-birthday-grateful-dead/ |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=L4LM |language=en-US}}</ref> 

The Grateful Dead performed its final concert on July 9, 1995, at [[Soldier Field]] in Chicago.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grateful Dead Plays Final Show On This Date 25 Years Ago |url=https://www.jambase.com/article/grateful-dead-plays-final-show-on-this-date-25-years-ago |website=JamBase |access-date=July 12, 2020 |date=July 9, 2020}}</ref>

==Aftermath (1995–present)==
{{See also|Reunions of the Grateful Dead}}
[[File:Weir, Bob (2007) 2.jpg|thumb|[[Bob Weir]] playing his [[Modulus Guitars|Modulus]] G3FH guitar in 2007]]
[[File:Mickey Hart leading a drum circle.jpg|thumb|[[Mickey Hart]] leading a [[drum circle]] in February 2005]]
[[File:Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, Obama Inaugural.jpg|thumb|Bob Weir and Mickey Hart performing at the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball during the [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|Obama Inaugural]] in January 2009]]
[[Jerry Garcia]] died on August 9, 1995. A few months after Garcia's death, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead decided to disband.<ref>Selvin, Joel (December 9, 1995). [http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/PAGE-ONE-End-of-the-Road-for-Grateful-Dead-3017847.php "End of the Road for Grateful Dead; Without Garcia, Band Just Can't Keep Truckin'"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155905/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/PAGE-ONE-End-of-the-Road-for-Grateful-Dead-3017847.php |date=September 24, 2015 }}, ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Retrieved July 1, 2015.</ref> Since that time, there have been a number of [[reunions of the Grateful Dead|reunions by the surviving members]] involving various combinations of musicians. Additionally, the former members have also begun or continued individual projects.

In 1998, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart, along with several other musicians, formed a band called [[the Other Ones]], and performed a number of concerts that year, releasing a live album, ''[[The Strange Remain]]'', the following year. In 2000, the Other Ones toured again, this time with Kreutzmann but without Lesh. After taking another year off, the band toured again in 2002 with Lesh. That year, the Other Ones then included all four living former Grateful Dead members who had been in the band for most or all of its history. At different times the shifting lineup of the Other Ones also included guitarists [[Mark Karan]], [[Steve Kimock]], and [[Jimmy Herring]], keyboardists [[Bruce Hornsby]], [[Jeff Chimenti]], and [[Rob Barraco]], saxophonist [[Dave Ellis (saxophonist)|Dave Ellis]], drummer [[John Molo]], bassist [[Alphonso Johnson]], and vocalist [[Susan Tedeschi]].<ref>Selvin, Joel (December 1, 2002). [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/01/PK130455.DTL&type=printable "Other Ones Reunite"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805005338/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2002%2F12%2F01%2FPK130455.DTL&type=printable |date=August 5, 2011 }}, ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Retrieved July 7, 2015.</ref>

In 2003, the Other Ones, still including Weir, Lesh, Hart, and Kreutzmann, changed their name to [[The Dead (band)|the Dead]].<ref>Selvin, Joel (February 12, 2003). [http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Marin-icons-now-the-Dead-Band-dropped-Grateful-2670990.php "Marin Icons Now the Dead"], ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Retrieved July 7, 2015.</ref> The Dead toured the United States in 2003, 2004 and 2009. The band's lineups included Jimmy Herring and [[Warren Haynes]] on guitar, Jeff Chimenti and Rob Barraco on keyboards, and [[Joan Osborne]] on vocals.<ref>[http://deaddisc.com/GDFD_Dead.htm "The Dead"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816222031/http://deaddisc.com/GDFD_Dead.htm |date=August 16, 2015 }}, Grateful Dead Family Discography. Retrieved July 9, 2015.</ref> In 2008, members of the Dead played two concerts, called "[[Deadheads for Obama]]" and "[[Deadheads for Obama#Change Rocks|Change Rocks]]".

Following the 2009 Dead tour, Lesh and Weir formed the band [[Furthur (band)|Furthur]], which debuted in September 2009.<ref>Budnick, Dean (September 18, 2013). [http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/furthur-s-origin-story-dead-behind-furthur-ahead-relix-revisited "Dead Behind, Furthur Ahead"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708205617/http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/furthur-s-origin-story-dead-behind-furthur-ahead-relix-revisited |date=July 8, 2015 }}, ''Relix''. Retrieved July 7, 2015.</ref> Joining Lesh and Weir in Furthur were Chimenti (keyboards), [[John Kadlecik]] (guitar), [[Joe Russo (musician)|Joe Russo]] (drums), [[Jay Lane]] (drums), [[Sunshine Becker]] (vocals), and Zoe Ellis (vocals). Lane and Ellis left the band in 2010, and vocalist [[Jeff Pehrson]] joined later that year. Furthur disbanded in 2014.<ref>Blistein, Jon (November 4, 2014). [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/furthur-call-quits-ahead-grateful-deads-50th-anniversary-20141104 "Phil Lesh and Bob Weir Disband Furthur"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714094359/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/furthur-call-quits-ahead-grateful-deads-50th-anniversary-20141104 |date=July 14, 2015 }}, ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved July 7, 2015.</ref>

In 2010, Hart and Kreutzmann re-formed the [[Rhythm Devils]], and played a summer concert tour.<ref>[http://www.kindweb.com/News/article.asp?ID=11463 "Rhythm Devils Featuring Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann Announce Summer Tour"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708190738/http://www.kindweb.com/News/article.asp?ID=11463 |date=July 8, 2015 }}, KindWeb, May 27, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2015.</ref> In the fall of 2015, Hart, Kreutzmann and Weir teamed up with Chimenti, guitarist [[John Mayer]], and bassist [[Oteil Burbridge]] to form a band called [[Dead & Company]]. Mayer recounted that in 2011 he was listening to [[Pandora Radio|Pandora]] and happened upon the Grateful Dead song "[[Go to Heaven#Track listing|Althea]]", and that soon Grateful Dead music was all he would listen to.<ref name=deadtour>{{cite magazine|title=John Mayer Talks Grateful Dead Legacy, Fare Thee Well and Learning to Play 'A Universe of Great Songs'|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grateful-dead/6655956/john-mayer-grateful-dead-and-company-interview|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 18, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114163602/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grateful-dead/6655956/john-mayer-grateful-dead-and-company-interview|archive-date=November 14, 2015}}</ref> Dead & Company toured every year (except 2020), until announcing that their summer 2023 tour, which saw Kreutzmann replaced by Lane, would be their last.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Aniftos |first1=Rania |date=September 23, 2022 |title=John Mayer Announces Final Dead & Company Tour |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/dead-and-company-final-tour-announcement-1235144052/ |access-date=September 24, 2022 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> However, they later clarified that it was only their last ''tour'', and they continue to perform concerts.

Since 1995, the former members of the Grateful Dead have also pursued solo music careers. Both [[Bob Weir & RatDog]]<ref>Selvin, Joel (February 2006). [http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/ratdog-s-return-bob-weir-and-life-after-dead-relix-revisited/ "RatDog's Return: Bob Weir and Life After Dead"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712072618/http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/ratdog-s-return-bob-weir-and-life-after-dead-relix-revisited/ |date=July 12, 2015 }}, ''Relix''. Retrieved July 11, 2015.</ref><ref>Greenhaus, Mike (February 14, 2014). [http://www.jambands.com/features/2014/02/14/bob-weir-ramps-up-ratdog "Bob Weir Ramps Up RatDog"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408085427/http://www.jambands.com/features/2014/02/14/bob-weir-ramps-up-ratdog |date=April 8, 2014 }}, jambands.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.</ref> and [[Phil Lesh and Friends]]<ref>Simon, Richard B. (June 2002). [http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/phil-lesh-goes-there-and-back-again-relix-revisited/ "Phil Lesh Goes There and Back Again"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712044629/http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/phil-lesh-goes-there-and-back-again-relix-revisited/ |date=July 12, 2015 }}, ''Relix''. Retrieved July 11, 2015.</ref><ref>Sisario, Ben (March 15, 2015). [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/04/arts/music/phil-lesh-a-grateful-dead-founder-strikes-promotion-deal.html "Ex-Bassist for the Grateful Dead Strikes a Deal"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314091717/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/04/arts/music/phil-lesh-a-grateful-dead-founder-strikes-promotion-deal.html |date=March 14, 2017 }}, ''New York Times''. Retrieved July 11, 2015.</ref> have performed many concerts and released several albums. Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann have also each released a few albums. Hart has toured with his [[world music]] percussion ensemble Planet Drum<ref>Foster-Patton, Kathy (September 2006). [http://www.jambase.com/Articles/9136/MICKEY-HART%27S-PLANET-DRUM-RETURNS/0 "Micky Hart's Planet Drum Returns"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711144809/http://www.jambase.com/Articles/9136/MICKEY-HART%27S-PLANET-DRUM-RETURNS/0 |date=July 11, 2015 }}, JamBase. Retrieved July 10, 2015.</ref> as well as the Mickey Hart Band.<ref>[http://digitalinterviews.com/digitalinterviews/views/hart.shtml "Interview: Mickey Hart"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712085525/http://digitalinterviews.com/digitalinterviews/views/hart.shtml |date=July 12, 2015 }}, Digital Interviews, August 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2015.</ref> Kreutzmann has led several different bands, including [[BK3]],<ref>Hutchinson, Nick (March 16, 2009). [http://www.jambands.com/reviews/shows/2009/03/16/bill-kreutzmann-featuring-oteil-burbridge-and-scott-murawski-great-american-taxi-fox-theater-boulder-co-2-21 "Concert Review: Bill Kreutzmann Featuring Oteil Burbridge and Scott Murawski, Fox Theater, Boulder, CO"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709202400/http://www.jambands.com/reviews/shows/2009/03/16/bill-kreutzmann-featuring-oteil-burbridge-and-scott-murawski-great-american-taxi-fox-theater-boulder-co-2-21 |date=July 9, 2015 }}, jambands.com. Retrieved July 8, 2015.</ref> [[7 Walkers]] (with [[Papa Mali]]),<ref>Powell, Austin (November 25, 2010). [http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2010-11-26/swampadelic/ "Swampadelic: 7 Walkers Rise from the Dead"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710011844/http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2010-11-26/swampadelic/ |date=July 10, 2015 }}, ''Austin Chronicle''. Retrieved July 8, 2015.</ref> and [[Billy & the Kids]].<ref>Bernstein, Scott (March 29, 2015). [http://www.jambase.com/Articles/124483/Review-and-Photos-Billy-and-The-Kids-With-Robert-Randolph-Port-Chester "Concert Review: Billy & the Kids, Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709234444/http://www.jambase.com/Articles/124483/Review-and-Photos-Billy-and-The-Kids-With-Robert-Randolph-Port-Chester |date=July 9, 2015 }}, JamBase. Retrieved July 8, 2015.</ref> Donna Godchaux has returned to the music scene, with the [[Donna Jean Godchaux Band]],<ref>Selvin, Joel (June 3, 2008). [http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Donna-Jean-Godchaux-grateful-to-sing-again-3281812.php "Donna Jean Godchaux Grateful to Sing Again"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708185434/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Donna-Jean-Godchaux-grateful-to-sing-again-3281812.php |date=July 8, 2015 }}, ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Retrieved June 7, 2015.</ref> and [[Tom Constanten]] also continues to write and perform music.<ref>Tamarkin, Jeff (September 2, 2014). [http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/deadicated_tom_constanten "Deadicated: Tom Constanten"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708152802/http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/deadicated_tom_constanten |date=July 8, 2015 }}, ''Relix''. Retrieved July 7, 2015.</ref> All of these groups continue to play Grateful Dead music.

In October 2014, it was announced that [[Martin Scorsese]] would produce a documentary film about the Grateful Dead, to be directed by [[Amir Bar-Lev]]. [[David Lemieux (archivist)|David Lemieux]] supervised the musical selection, and Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann, and Lesh agreed to new interviews for the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/martin-scorsese-exec-produce-grateful-743519|title=Martin Scorsese to Exec Produce Grateful Dead Doc|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 23, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218195941/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/martin-scorsese-exec-produce-grateful-743519|archive-date=February 18, 2016}}</ref> Bar-Lev's four-hour documentary, titled ''[[Long Strange Trip]]'', was released in 2017.<ref name=Relix-Bar-Lev>{{cite web|first=Dean|last=Budnick|date=May 22, 2017|url=https://www.relix.com/articles/detail/bringing_the_dead_to_life_director_amir_bar_lev_on_the_epic_long_strange_trip|title=Bringing the Grateful Dead to Life: Director Amir Bar-Lev on the Epic ''Long Strange Trip''|website=Relix |access-date=May 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522163500/https://www.relix.com/articles/detail/bringing_the_dead_to_life_director_amir_bar_lev_on_the_epic_long_strange_trip|archive-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref><ref name=RollingStone>{{cite news|first=David|last=Fear|date=January 24, 2017|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/grateful-dead-doc-long-strange-trip-premieres-at-sundance-w462673|title=Sundance 2017: Grateful Dead Doc 'Long Strange Trip' Is Heartbreaking Tribute|newspaper=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 24, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126113109/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/grateful-dead-doc-long-strange-trip-premieres-at-sundance-w462673|archive-date=January 26, 2017}}</ref>

Barlow died in 2018<ref name="jpbobit">{{cite news|title=John Perry Barlow, Grateful Dead lyricist and advocate for an open Internet, dies at 70|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 8, 2018|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/john-perry-barlow-grateful-dead-lyricist-and-advocate-for-an-open-internet-dies-at-70/2018/02/08/e837ae62-0d0f-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html|access-date=February 9, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209011949/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/john-perry-barlow-grateful-dead-lyricist-and-advocate-for-an-open-internet-dies-at-70/2018/02/08/e837ae62-0d0f-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html|archive-date=February 9, 2018}}</ref> and Hunter in 2019.<ref name="rhobit">{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/arts/music/robert-hunter-dead.html|title = Robert Hunter, Grateful Dead Lyricist, Dies at 78|work = [[The New York Times]]|date = September 24, 2019|access-date = September 23, 2019}}</ref> Lesh died in 2024.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gehr |first1=Richard |title=Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead Co-Founder and Bassist, Dead at 84 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phil-lesh-grateful-dead-dead-1234809976/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=25 October 2024 |date=25 October 2024}}</ref>

==="Fare Thee Well"===
{{Main|Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead}}
In 2015, Weir, Lesh, Kreutzmann, and Hart reunited for five concerts called "Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead".<ref name="Pareles">{{cite web|last=Pareles|first=Jon|title=Review: No Song Left Unsung, Grateful Dead Plays Its Last|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 6, 2015|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/arts/music/no-song-left-unsung-grateful-dead-plays-its-last.html|access-date=July 10, 2015|quote="When the Dead's music was working best, it always sounded like a healthy argument among old friends—one that could spark new ideas."|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709032026/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/arts/music/no-song-left-unsung-grateful-dead-plays-its-last.html|archive-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref> The shows were performed on June 27 and 28 at [[Levi's Stadium]] in [[Santa Clara, California]], and on July 3, 4 and 5 at [[Soldier Field]] in [[Chicago]].<ref name="Pareles"/><ref>Sallo, Stewart (July 10, 2015). [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-sallo/grateful-dead-fare-thee-well-report-card_b_7771296.html "Grateful Dead 'Fare Thee Well' Report Card"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714212014/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-sallo/grateful-dead-fare-thee-well-report-card_b_7771296.html |date=July 14, 2015 }}, ''Huffington Post''. Retrieved July 12, 2015.</ref> The band stated that this would be the final time that Weir, Lesh, Hart, and Kreutzmann would perform together.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/article/grateful-dead-farewell-concert-chicago|title=Grateful Dead 50th-Anniversary Reunion in the Works|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=January 19, 2015|access-date=April 8, 2015|author=Nelson, Jeff|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122211604/http://www.people.com/article/grateful-dead-farewell-concert-chicago|archive-date=January 22, 2015}}</ref> They were joined by [[Trey Anastasio]] of [[Phish]] on guitar, Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, and Bruce Hornsby on piano.<ref>Halperin, Shirley (January 16, 2015). [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6443522/grateful-dead-reunion-shows-trey-anastasio-chicago-anniversary "Grateful Dead to Reunite, Jam with Trey Anastasio for Final Shows"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630035619/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6443522/grateful-dead-reunion-shows-trey-anastasio-chicago-anniversary |date=June 30, 2015 }}, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. Retrieved July 6, 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Leopold|first1=Todd|title=Grateful Dead Reuniting for 50th-Anniversary Shows|date=January 16, 2015|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/16/entertainment/feat-grateful-dead-50-anniversary-show/index.html|access-date=January 16, 2015|publisher=[[CNN]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150116205503/http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/16/entertainment/feat-grateful-dead-50-anniversary-show/index.html|archive-date=January 16, 2015}}</ref> Demand for tickets was very high.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6487516/grateful-deads-fare-thee-well-tickets-offered-for-116000-on-secondary|title=Grateful Dead's 'Fare Thee Well' Tickets Offered for $116,000 on Secondary Market|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=March 2, 2015|access-date=March 9, 2015|author=Brandle, Lars|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310002507/http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6487516/grateful-deads-fare-thee-well-tickets-offered-for-116000-on-secondary|archive-date=March 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/chi-grateful-dead-concert-soldier-field-20150306-story.html|title=Op-Ed: Grateful Dead fans need a miracle, or big bucks, to see final Chicago shows|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 6, 2015|access-date=March 10, 2015|author=Bernstein, Lenny|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310022036/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/chi-grateful-dead-concert-soldier-field-20150306-story.html|archive-date=March 10, 2015}}</ref> The concerts were simulcast via various media.<ref>[http://www.relix.com/news/detail/peter_shapiro_were_working_on_a_way_to_bring_the_show_to_fans_who_arent_in_soldier_field "Peter Shapiro: "We're Working on a Way to Bring the Show to Fans Who Aren't in Soldier Field"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707061323/http://www.relix.com/news/detail/peter_shapiro_were_working_on_a_way_to_bring_the_show_to_fans_who_arent_in_soldier_field |date=July 7, 2015 }}, ''[[Relix]]'', March 3, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.</ref><ref>Coscarelli, Joe (July 2, 2015). [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/03/arts/music/as-dead-exit-a-debate-will-not-fade-away.html "As Grateful Dead Exit, a Debate Will Not Fade Away"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416081227/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/03/arts/music/as-dead-exit-a-debate-will-not-fade-away.html |date=April 16, 2017 }}, ''The New York Times''. Retrieved July 6, 2015.</ref> The Chicago shows have been released as a box set of CDs and DVDs.<ref>Grow, Kory (June 25, 2015). [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/grateful-dead-announce-box-set-releases-of-final-concerts-20150625 "Grateful Dead Announce Box Set Releases of Final Concerts"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627223148/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/grateful-dead-announce-box-set-releases-of-final-concerts-20150625 |date=June 27, 2015 }}, ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved June 28, 2015.</ref>

[[File:Grateful Dead - Fare Thee Well - Soldier Field - Chicago - 2015.jpg|thumb|center|825px|{{center|The ''Fare Thee Well'' concert at [[Soldier Field]] in [[Chicago]] on July 5, 2015}}]]

==Musical style==
[[File:Grateful Dead at the Warfield-02.jpg|thumb|An [[Acoustic music|acoustic]] performance at the [[Warfield Theatre]] in [[San Francisco]] in 1980. Left to right: Garcia, Lesh, Kreutzmann, Weir, Hart, Mydland.]]
The Grateful Dead formed during the era when bands such as [[the Beatles]], [[the Beach Boys]] and [[the Rolling Stones]] were dominating the airwaves. "The Beatles were why we turned from a jug band into a rock 'n' roll band", said Bob Weir. "What we saw them doing was impossibly attractive. I couldn't think of anything else more worth doing."<ref name="Jackson2000-p.67">{{cite book|first=Blair|last=Jackson|title=Garcia: An American Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w3y3PbFPNe4C&pg=PA67|year=2000|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-14-029199-5|page=67|access-date=December 5, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223131423/https://books.google.com/books?id=w3y3PbFPNe4C&pg=PA67|archive-date=February 23, 2017}}</ref> Former folk-scene star [[Bob Dylan]] had recently put out a couple of records featuring electric instrumentation. Grateful Dead members have said that it was after attending a concert by the touring New York City band [[the Lovin' Spoonful]] that they decided to "go electric" and look for a "dirtier" sound. [[Jerry Garcia]] and [[Bob Weir]] (both of whom had been immersed in the [[American folk music revival]] of the late 1950s and early 1960s), were open-minded about the use of electric guitars.

The Grateful Dead's early music (in the mid-1960s) was part of the process of establishing what "[[psychedelic music]]" was, but theirs was essentially a "street party" form of it. They developed their "psychedelic" playing as a result of meeting [[Ken Kesey]] in [[Palo Alto, California]], and subsequently becoming the house band for the [[Acid Tests]] he staged.<ref>[[Tom Wolfe|Wolfe, Tom]] (1968). ''[[The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test]]'', Farrar Straus & Giroux</ref> They did not fit their music to an established category such as pop rock, blues, folk rock, or country & western. Individual tunes within their repertoire could be identified under one of these stylistic labels, but overall their music drew on all of these genres and, more frequently, melded several of them. [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]] said of the Grateful Dead, "They're not the best at what they do, they're the only ones that do what they do."<ref>{{cite web|author=Bjerklie, Steve|url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sfmetro/03.97/rock-art-97-3.html|title=What are They Worth?|publisher=Metroactive.com|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515181358/http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sfmetro/03.97/rock-art-97-3.html|archive-date=May 15, 2011}}</ref> Academics Paul Hegarty and Martin Halliwell argued that the Grateful Dead were "not merely as [[proto-prog|precursors]] of [[progressive rock|prog]] but as essential developments of progressiveness in its early days".<ref name=Hegarty>{{citation|last1=Hegarty|first1=Paul|last2=Halliwell|first2=Martin|title=Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock Since the 1960s|year=2011|publisher=The Continuum International Publishing Group|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8264-2332-0|author-link1=Paul Hegarty (musician)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=taA2AqdCAJ0C |page=11}}</ref> Often (both in performance and on recording) the Dead left room for exploratory, spacey soundscapes.

Their live shows, fed by an improvisational approach to music, were different from most touring bands. While rock and roll bands often rehearse a standard set, played with minor variations, the Grateful Dead did not prepare in this way. Garcia stated in a 1966 interview, "We don't make up our sets beforehand. We'd rather work off the tops of our heads than off a piece of paper."<ref name="The Grateful Dead p. 17">The Grateful Dead: Playing in the Band, David Gans and Peter Simon, St Martin Press, 1985 p. 17</ref> They maintained this approach throughout their career. For each performance, the band drew material from an active list of a hundred or so songs.<ref name="The Grateful Dead p. 17"/>

The 1969 live album ''[[Live/Dead]]'' did capture the band in-form, but commercial success did not come until ''[[Workingman's Dead]]'' and ''[[American Beauty (album)|American Beauty]]'', both released in 1970. These records largely featured the band's laid-back [[acoustic music]]ianship and more traditional song structures. With their rootsy, eclectic stylings, particularly evident on the latter two albums, the band pioneered the hybrid [[Americana music|Americana]] genre.<ref name=billboard-amer>{{Citation|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=September 23, 2016|title=Bob Weir Grateful to Get Back in Touch With His Cowboy Side at Americana Fest|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7518813/bob-weir-grateful-dead-americana-festival-country|access-date=October 24, 2016|quote='In all likelihood, without the Grateful Dead and without Bob Weir, there would not be an Americana community', said Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926052147/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7518813/bob-weir-grateful-dead-americana-festival-country|archive-date=September 26, 2016}}</ref><ref name=guardian-mcgee>{{Citation|last=McGee|first=Alan|date=July 2, 2009|title=McGee on music: Why the Grateful Dead were Americana pioneers|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/jul/02/mcgee-music-grateful-dead|access-date=October 24, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025121748/https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/jul/02/mcgee-music-grateful-dead|archive-date=October 25, 2016}}</ref><ref name=no-depr>{{Citation|last=Isaacs|first=Dave|date=November 1, 2011|title=The Grateful Dead & The Band – original Americana groups?|publisher=[[No Depression (magazine)|No Depression]]|url=http://nodepression.com/article/grateful-dead-band-original-americana-groups|access-date=October 30, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031024234/http://nodepression.com/article/grateful-dead-band-original-americana-groups|archive-date=October 31, 2016}}</ref>

=== Instrumentation and musicianship ===
[[File:TelStar featuring Phil Lesh, 2008 (1).jpg|thumb|[[Phil Lesh]] (left) performing with [[TelStar]] in 2008]]
As the band and its sound matured over thirty years of touring, playing, and recording, each member's stylistic contribution became more defined, consistent, and identifiable. Garcia's lead lines were fluid, supple and spare, owing a great deal of their character to his experience playing [[Scruggs style]] banjo, an approach which often makes use of [[syncopation|note syncopation]], [[accent (music)|accenting]], [[arpeggio]]s, [[staccato]] [[Chromatic fourth|chromatic runs]], and the anticipation of the [[Downbeat and upbeat|downbeat]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Defining bounce, drive, syncopation, timing, accent. bluegrass time - Discussion Forums - Banjo Hangout |url=https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/206414 |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=www.banjohangout.org}}</ref> 

Garcia had a distinctive sense of [[tempo|timing]], often weaving in and out of the [[groove (music)|groove]] established by the rest of the band as if he were pushing the beat. His lead lines were also immensely influenced by [[solo (music)|jazz soloists]]: Garcia cited [[Miles Davis]], [[Ornette Coleman]], [[Bill Evans]], [[Pat Martino]], [[George Benson]], [[Al Di Meola]], [[Art Tatum]], [[Duke Ellington]], and [[Django Reinhardt]] as primary influences, and frequently utilized techniques common to [[country music|country]] and [[blues music]] in songs that called back to those traditions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2021 |title=The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia's 10 favourite guitarists |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jerry-garcia-grateful-dead-favourite-guitarists-playlist/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Garcia often switched [[scale (music)|scales]] in the midst of a solo depending upon the [[chord changes]] played underneath, though he nearly always finished [[musical phrasing|phrases]] by landing on the [[Factor (chord)|chord-tones]]. Jerry most frequently played in the [[Mixolydian mode]], though his solos and phrases often incorporated notes from the [[Dorian mode|Dorian]] and [[pentatonic scale|major/minor pentatonic scales]]. Particularly in the late 1960s, Garcia occasionally incorporated [[melody|melodic lines]] derived from [[Indian classical music|Indian]] [[ragas]] into the band's extended, [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]] [[musical improvisation|improvisation]], likely inspired by [[John Coltrane]] and other jazz artists' interest in the [[sitar]] music of [[Ravi Shankar]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grateful Dead Blair's Golden Road Blog: On Ravi Shankar and the Dead |url=https://www.dead.net/features/blair-jackson/blair-s-golden-road-blog-ravi-shankar-and-dead |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=Grateful Dead |date=December 14, 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

Lesh was originally a classically trained trumpet player with an extensive background in [[music theory]], but did not tend to play traditional blues-based bass forms. He often played more melodic, symphonic and complex lines, often sounding like a second lead guitar. In contrast to most bassists in [[popular music]], Lesh often avoids playing the [[root (chord)|root]] of a chord on the downbeat, instead withholding as a means to build [[tension (music)|tension]]. Lesh also rarely repeats the same bassline, even from performance to performance of the same song, and often plays off of or around the other instruments with a [[syncopation|syncopated]], [[staccato]] bounce that contributes to the Dead's unique rhythmic character.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collier |first=Rob |date=December 7, 2020 |title=Welcome to the Phil Zone: A Lesson in the Phil Lesh Style |url=https://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2020/12/welcome-to-the-phil-zone-a-lesson-in-the-phil-lesh-style/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=Bass Musician Magazine, The Face of Bass |language=en-US}}</ref>

Weir, too, was not a traditional [[rhythm guitar]]ist, but tended to play unique [[chord inversion|inversions]] at the upper end of the Dead's sound. Weir modeled his style of playing after jazz pianist [[McCoy Tyner]] and attempted to replicate the interplay between John Coltrane and Tyner in his support, and occasional subversion, of the [[harmonic structure]] of Garcia's voice leadings. This would often influence the direction the band's improvisation would take on a given night. Weir and Garcia's respective positions as rhythm and lead guitarist were not always strictly adhered to, as Weir would often incorporate short melodic phrases into his playing to support Garcia and occasionally took solos, often played with a [[slide guitar|slide]]. Weir's playing is characterized by a "spiky, staccato" sound.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 25, 2014 |title=Grateful for Bob Weir |url=http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/grateful-for-bob-weir |access-date=February 28, 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2015 |title=Watch: Bob Weir Talks His Musical Role in the Grateful Dead |url=https://relix.com/blogs/detail/watch_bob_weir_talks_his_musical_role_in_the_grateful_dead/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=Relix Media |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Jarnow |first=Jesse |date=March 5, 2018 |title=Bob Weir and Phil Lesh Get Thrillingly Loose at New York Tour Openers |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/bob-weir-and-phil-lesh-get-thrillingly-loose-at-new-york-tour-openers-197592/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

The band's two drummers, [[Mickey Hart]] and [[Bill Kreutzmann]], developed a unique, complex interplay, balancing Kreutzmann's steady [[shuffle (music)|shuffle]] beat with Hart's interest in percussion styles outside the rock tradition. Kreuzmann has said, "I like to establish a feeling and then add radical or oblique juxtapositions to that feeling."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Kreutzmann {{!}} Regal Tip |url=http://www.regaltip.com/artist-roster/bill-kreutzmann |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=www.regaltip.com}}</ref> Hart incorporated an 11-count measure to his drumming, bringing a dimension to the band's sound that became an important part of its style. He had studied [[tabla]] drumming and incorporated rhythms and instruments from [[world music]], and later [[electronic music]], into the band's live performances.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mickey Hart Biography |url=https://musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003421/Mickey-Hart.html |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=musicianguide.com}}</ref>

The Dead's live performances featured multiple types of [[musical improvisation|improvisation]] derived from a vast array of musical traditions. Not unlike many rock bands of their time, the majority of the Dead's songs feature a designated section in which an [[Break (music)|instrumental break]] occurs over the [[chord changes]]. These sections typically feature solos by Garcia that often originate as variations on the song's [[melody]], but go on to create dynamic phrases that resolve by returning to the chord-tones. Not unlike traditional [[jazz|improvisational jazz]], they may occasionally feature several solos by multiple instruments within an undecided number of [[Bar (music)|bars]], such as a keyboardist, before returning to the melody. At the same time, Dead shows almost always feature a more collective, [[modal jazz|modal]] approach to improvisation that typically occurs during [[segue]]s between songs before the band [[modulation (music)|modulates]] to a new [[tonal center]]. Some of the Dead's more extended jam vehicles, such as "[[That's It for the Other One|The Other One]]", "[[Dark Star (song)|Dark Star]]", and "[[Playing in the Band]]" almost exclusively make use of modulation between modes to accompany simple two-chord progressions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malvinni |first=David |date=October 21, 2010 |title=The Grateful Dead World: The Modal Basis of the Grateful Dead's Jams and Songs |url=http://gratefuldeadworld.blogspot.com/2010/10/modal-basis-of-grateful-deads-jams-and.html |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=The Grateful Dead World}}</ref>

=== Lyrical themes ===
Following the songwriting renaissance that defined the band's early 1970s period, as reflected in the albums ''[[Workingman's Dead]]'' and ''[[American Beauty (album)|American Beauty]],'' [[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]], Jerry Garcia's primary lyrical partner, frequently made use of [[motif (narrative)|motifs]] common to [[American folklore]] including trains, guns, elements, [[folk instrument|traditional musical instruments]], gambling, murder, animals, alcohol, descriptions of [[Geography of the United States|American geography]], and [[religious symbolism]] to illustrate themes involving love and loss, life and death, beauty and horror, and chaos and order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Motif and theme index to The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics|url=http://artsites.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/motif.html|access-date=February 24, 2022|website=artsites.ucsc.edu}}</ref> Following in the footsteps of several [[Music of the United States|American musical traditions]], these songs are often confessional and feature narration from the perspective of an [[antihero]]. Critic [[Robert Christgau]] described them as "American myths" that later gave way to "the old karma-go-round".<ref name="CG-myth">{{Citation|last=Christgau|first=Robert|title=Wake of the Flood (review)|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Grateful+Dead|publisher=robertchristgau.com|access-date=October 30, 2016}}</ref> 

An extremely common feature in both Robert Hunter's lyrics, as well as the band's visual iconography, is the presence of [[Dualism in cosmology|dualistic]] and opposing imagery illustrating the dynamic range of the [[human condition|human experience]] (Heaven and hell, law and crime, dark and light, etc.). Hunter and Garcia's earlier, more directly [[psychedelia|psychedelic-influenced]] compositions often make use of [[surrealism|surreal]] imagery, [[nonsense verse|nonsense]], and whimsey reflective of traditions in [[English poetry]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nonsense & Whimsy in Robert Hunter's Lyrics|url=http://artsites.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/nonsense.html#english|access-date=February 24, 2022|website=artsites.ucsc.edu}}</ref> In a retrospective, ''[[The New Yorker]]'' described Hunter's verses as "elliptical, by turns vivid and [[Gnomic poetry|gnomic]]", which were often "hippie poetry about roses and bells and dew".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Paumgarten |first=Nick |date=November 26, 2012 |title=Deadhead: The Afterlife |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902013058/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/11/26/deadhead |archive-date=September 2, 2014 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/11/26/deadhead |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=July 7, 2015 }}</ref> Grateful Dead biographer Dennis McNally has described Hunter's lyrics as creating "a non-literal hyper-Americana" weaving a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic tapestry in the hopes of elucidating America's [[Culture of the United States|national character]]. At least one of Hunter and Bob Weir's collaborations, "[[Jack Straw (song)|Jack Straw]]", was inspired by the work of [[John Steinbeck]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grateful Dead Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Jack Straw"|url=https://www.dead.net/features/greatest-stories-ever-told/greatest-stories-ever-told-jack-straw|access-date=February 24, 2022|website=Grateful Dead|date=May 30, 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

==Influence and legacy==
Grateful Dead have been called a "symbol of the [[1960s counterculture|counterculture movement of the sixties]]". Beginning in the early 1990s, a new generation of bands became inspired by the Grateful Dead's improvisational ethos and [[marketing strategy]], and began to incorporate elements of the Grateful Dead's live performances into their own shows. These include the nightly alteration of [[set list|setlists]], frequent improvisation, [[fusion (music)|the blending of genres]], and the allowance of [[Taper (concert)|taping]], which would often contribute to the development of a dedicated fanbase. Bands associated with the expansion of the [[jam band|"jam scene"]] include [[Phish]], [[The String Cheese Incident]], [[Widespread Panic]], [[Blues Traveler]], [[Moe (band)|moe.]], and the [[Disco Biscuits]]. Many of these groups began to look past the [[roots rock|American roots music]] that the Grateful Dead drew inspiration from, and incorporated elements of [[progressive rock]], [[hard rock]], and [[electronica]]. At the same time, the Internet gained popularity and provided a medium for fans to discuss these bands and their performances and download [[MP3]]s. The Grateful Dead, as well as Phish, were one of the first bands to have a [[Usenet]] newsgroup.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/the-grateful-dead/the-everlasting-influence-of-jerry-garcia-and-the-grateful-dead |title=The Everlasting Influence of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead |last=Cotrone |first=David |magazine=Paste Magazine |date=March 28, 2024 |access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://acousticguitar.com/acoustic-grateful-dead/ |title=How Acoustic Musicians Are Carrying Forward the Songs of the Grateful Dead |work=Acoustic Guitar |last=Rodgers |first=Jeffrey Pepper |date=June 16, 2024 |access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://flyernews.com/ae/fare-thee-well-remembering-phil-lesh-of-the-grateful-dead/11/13/2024/ |title=Fare Thee Well: Remembering Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead |work=Flyer News |last=Russell |first=Bryce |date=November 13, 2024 |access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abc7news.com/post/remembering-phil-lesher-deadheads-descend-grateful-dead-house-san-francisco-following-death-bassist/15471552/ |title=Deadheads descend on SF's 'Grateful Dead House' following death of Phil Lesh |work=ABC 7 News |last=Campbell |first=Tara |date=October 26, 2024 |access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref>

==Merchandising and representation==
[[Hal Kant]] was an entertainment industry attorney who specialized in representing musical groups. He spent 35 years as principal lawyer and general counsel for the Grateful Dead, a position in the group that was so strong that his business cards with the band identified his role as "Czar".<ref name=THR>Barnes, Mike (October 22, 2008). [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/grateful-dead-lawyer-hal-kant-121564 "Grateful Dead lawyer Hal Kant dies"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405093300/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/grateful-dead-lawyer-hal-kant-121564 |date=April 5, 2014 }}. ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''. Retrieved October 24, 2008. {{Subscription required}}</ref>

Kant brought the band millions of dollars in revenue through his management of the band's [[intellectual property]] and merchandising rights. At Kant's recommendation, the group was one of the few rock 'n roll pioneers to retain ownership of their music masters and [[publishing rights]].

In 2006, the Grateful Dead signed a ten-year licensing agreement with [[Rhino Entertainment]] to manage the band's business interests including the release of musical recordings, merchandising, and marketing. The band retained creative control and kept ownership of its music catalog.<ref>Light, Alan (July 10, 2006). [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/business/media/10rhino.html "A Resurrection, of Sorts, for the Grateful Dead"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314064638/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/business/media/10rhino.html |date=March 14, 2017 }}, ''New York Times''. Retrieved December 12, 2008</ref><ref>Liberatore, Paul (August 4, 2006). [http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_4136208 "Only the Memories Remain: Grateful Dead's Recordings Moved"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120054040/http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_4136208 |date=November 20, 2008 }}, ''Marin Independent Journal''. Retrieved December 12, 2008</ref>

A Grateful Dead video game titled ''Grateful Dead Game&nbsp;– The Epic Tour''<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/business-is-booming-for-the-grateful-dead-20120119|title=Business Is Booming for the Grateful Dead|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=January 19, 2012|access-date=November 12, 2013|author=Browne, David|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112124436/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/business-is-booming-for-the-grateful-dead-20120119|archive-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref> was released in April 2012 and was created by Curious Sense.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-gratefuldead-videogame-idUSBRE83J0OB20120420|title=Grateful Dead plan new "Epic Tour": in videogame|work=Reuters|date=April 20, 2012|access-date=November 12, 2013|author=Riefe, Jordan|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112173042/https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/20/entertainment-us-gratefuldead-videogame-idUSBRE83J0OB20120420|archive-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref>

In November 2022, the children's book ''The ABCs of The Grateful Dead'' was released.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 25, 2022 |title=New Illustrated Children's Book Introduces Young Readers to the Grateful Dead |url=https://jambands.com/news/2022/10/25/new-illustrated-childrens-book-introduces-young-readers-to-the-grateful-dead/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401173035/https://jambands.com/news/2022/10/25/new-illustrated-childrens-book-introduces-young-readers-to-the-grateful-dead/ |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=Jambands |language=en-US}}</ref>  Authorized by the group, it was written by Howie Abrams, illustrated by [[Kaves|Michael "Kaves" McLeer]], and published by [[Simon & Schuster]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Guzman |first=Richard |date=January 30, 2023 |title=Rock 'n' Read |journal=Journal Gazette |pages=A10}}</ref>

===Sponsorship of 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team===
[[File:Greg Speirs (image).jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|The "Skully" tie-dyed T-shirt, designed by [[New York City]] artist Greg Speirs, became a symbol of [[Lithuania|Lithuanian]] basketball.]]
After [[Lithuania]] [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania|gained its independence from the USSR]], the country announced its withdrawal from the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Olympics]] due to the lack of any money to sponsor participants.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://hybridtechcar.com/2018/05/10/salvation-from-the-dead-how-grateful-dead-helped-the-lithuanian-basketball-team-get-to-the-1992-olympics/|title=Salvation from the "dead": how Grateful Dead helped the Lithuanian basketball team get to the 1992 Olympics {{!}} HybridTechCar|website=hybridtechcar.com|access-date=February 24, 2019|date=May 10, 2018|archive-date=February 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225102937/https://hybridtechcar.com/2018/05/10/salvation-from-the-dead-how-grateful-dead-helped-the-lithuanian-basketball-team-get-to-the-1992-olympics/|url-status=dead}}</ref> But NBA star [[Šarūnas Marčiulionis]], a native Lithuanian basketball star, wanted to help his native team to compete. His efforts resulted in a call from representatives of the Grateful Dead who set up a meeting with the band members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Lithuanians-Are-Grateful-to-Dead-Rock-group-3320738.php|title=Lithuanians Are Grateful to 'Dead' / Rock group came to rescue|last=Nevius|first=C. W.|date=May 21, 1996|website=SFGate|access-date=February 24, 2019}}</ref>  The band agreed to fund transportation costs for the team (about $5,000) along with Grateful Dead designs for the team's jerseys and shorts. The [[Lithuania men's national basketball team|Lithuanian basketball team]] won the bronze medal and the Lithuanian basketball/Grateful Dead T-shirts became part of pop culture, especially in Lithuania.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadspin.com/remembering-the-joyous-tie-dyed-all-stars-of-the-1992-5931282|title=Remembering The Joyous, Tie-Dyed All-Stars Of The 1992 Lithuanian Basketball Team|last=Siegel|first=Alan|website=Deadspin|date=August 2, 2012 |language=en-US|access-date=February 24, 2019}}</ref>  The incident was covered by the documentary ''[[The Other Dream Team]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2012/02/03/the-other-dream-team-sundance/|title=Sundance: 'The Other Dream Team' and the Grateful Dead|website=EW.com|language=en|access-date=February 24, 2019}}</ref>

==Live performances==
[[File:Billbongo.jpg|thumb|Grateful Dead members in the early 1980s: Brent Mydland, Bob Weir, and Jerry Garcia watch Bill Kreutzmann play the drums. Not pictured: Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart.]]
[[File:Grateful Dead tickets for Nassau Coliseum run, Spring 1994.jpg|thumb|[[Mail order|Mail-ordered]] Grateful Dead concert tickets for their concerts at [[Nassau Coliseum]] on [[Long Island]] in March 1994]]
The Grateful Dead toured constantly throughout their career, playing more than 2,300 concerts.<ref>Deadbase Online Search, ver 1.10</ref> They promoted a sense of community among their fans, who became known as "[[Deadhead]]s", many of whom followed their tours for months or years on end. Around concert venues, an impromptu communal marketplace known as '[[Shakedown Street (vending area)|Shakedown Street]]' was created by Deadheads to serve as centers of activity where fans could buy and sell anything from grilled cheese sandwiches to home-made t-shirts and recordings of Grateful Dead concerts.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bienenstock |first1=David |title=Deadheads Forever Changed the Way We Eat |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/deadheads-forever-changed-the-way-we-eat/ |website=Vice |access-date=July 13, 2019 |date=January 28, 2015}}</ref>

In their early career, the band also dedicated their time and talents to their community, the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco, making available free food, lodging, music, and health care to all. It has been said that the band performed "more free concerts than any band in the history of music".<ref>Garofalo, p. 219, quote in Garofalo, cited to Roxon, ''Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia''.</ref>

With the exception of 1975, when the band was on hiatus and played only four concerts, Grateful Dead performed many concerts every year, from their formation in April 1965, until July 9, 1995.<ref>Scott, Dolgushkin, Nixon, ''Deadbase X'', {{ISBN|1-877657-21-2}}{{page needed|date=August 2019}}</ref> Initially all their shows were in California, principally in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] and in or near [[Los Angeles]]. They also performed, in 1965 and 1966, with [[Merry Pranksters|Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters]], as the house band for the [[Acid Tests]]. 

In 1967, they toured nationally, including their first performance in [[New York City]]. They appeared at the [[Monterey Pop Festival]] in 1967, the [[Woodstock Festival]] in 1969 and the [[Festival Express]] train tour across Canada in 1970. They were scheduled to appear as the final act at the infamous [[Altamont Free Concert]] on December 6, 1969, after the [[Rolling Stones]] but withdrew after security concerns. "That's the way things went at Altamont—so badly that the Grateful Dead, prime organizers and movers of the festival, didn't even get to play", staff at ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine wrote in a detailed narrative on the event.<ref name=rrwd>{{cite magazine|title=Disaster at Altamont: Let It Bleed|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=January 21, 1970|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-rolling-stones-disaster-at-altamont-let-it-bleed-19700121?page=12|access-date=March 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325142007/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-rolling-stones-disaster-at-altamont-let-it-bleed-19700121?page=12|archive-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref>

Their first UK performance was at the [[Hollywood music festival|Hollywood Music Festival]] in 1970. Their largest concert audience came in 1973 when they played, along with [[the Allman Brothers Band]] and [[the Band]], before an estimated 600,000 people at the [[Summer Jam at Watkins Glen]].<ref>McNally, Dennis, "A Long Strange Trip", New York 2002, pp. 455–58. {{ISBN|0-7679-1185-7}}</ref> They played to an estimated total of 25&nbsp;million people, more than any other band, with audiences of up to 80,000 attending a single show. Many of these concerts were preserved in the band's tape vault, and several dozen have since been released on CD and as downloads. The Dead were known for the tremendous variation in their setlists from night to night—the list of songs documented to have been played by the band exceeds 500.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadlists.com/|title=deadlists home page|publisher=Deadlists.com|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040831204937/http://www.deadlists.com/|archive-date=August 31, 2004}}</ref> The band has released four concert videos under the name ''[[View from the Vault]]''. In 1978, they played three nights at the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] in [[Egypt]]. 

In the 1990s, the Grateful Dead earned a total of $285&nbsp;million in revenue from their concert tours, the second-highest during the 1990s, with the Rolling Stones earning the most.<ref name="Waddell">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OhAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18|title=The Dead Still Live for the Road|author=Waddell, Ray|magazine=Billboard|date=July 2004|volume=116|issue=27|page=18|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506170940/https://books.google.com/books?id=OhAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18|archive-date=May 6, 2016}} {{ISSN|0006-2510}}</ref> This figure is representative of tour revenue through 1995, as touring stopped after the death of Jerry Garcia.<ref name="Waddell"/> 

In a 1991 [[PBS]] documentary, segment host Buck Henry attended an August 1991 concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre and gleaned some information from some band members about the Grateful Dead phenomenon and its success.<ref name="Henry 1991">[[Buck Henry|Henry, Buck]] (October 1991). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVh0X6DYxoM "Buck meets the Grateful Dead"]. Edge ([[PBS]]). Season 1, episode 1. Accessed September 9, 2018.</ref> At the time, Jerry Garcia stated, "We didn't really invent the Grateful Dead, the crowd invented the Grateful Dead, you know what I mean? We were sort of standing in line, and uh, it's gone way past our expectations, way past, so it's, we've been going along with it to see what it's gonna do next."<ref name="Henry 1991"/> Mickey Hart said, "This is one of the last places in America that you can really have this kind of fun, you know, considering the political climate and so forth."<ref name="Henry 1991"/> Hart also stated that "the transformative power of the Grateful Dead is really the essence of it; it's what it can do to your consciousness. We're more into ''transportation'' than we are into music, ''per se'', I mean, the business of the Grateful Dead is transportation."<ref name="Henry 1991"/> One of the band's largest concerts took place just months before Garcia's death — at their outdoor show with Bob Dylan in [[Highgate, Vermont]], on June 15, 1995. The crowd was estimated to be over 90,000; overnight camping was allowed and about a third of the audience got in without having purchased a ticket.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hallenbeck |first1=Brent |title=VT security firm now ubiquitous |url=https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/money/2015/02/26/grateful-dead-phish-security-firm-turns/24009819/ |access-date=July 1, 2020 |work=Burlington Free Press |date=February 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Novack |first1=Jay |title=June 15 - Franklin County Airport - Highgate, VT |journal=Unbroken Chain |date=Fall 1995 |volume=October / November / December 1995 |issue=53 |page=21 |url=https://gdsets.com/magazines/uc53.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701234017/https://gdsets.com/magazines/uc53.pdf |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=July 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=LIFE The Grateful Dead - The Long Strange Trip of the World's Greatest Jam Band |date=August 16, 2019 |publisher=Time Home Entertainment |location=Essay by Patrick Leahy |isbn=978-1547852055 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYOqDwAAQBAJ&q=highgate+vermont+largest+grateful+dead+concerts&pg=PT163 |access-date=July 1, 2020}}</ref>

Their numerous studio albums were generally collections of new songs that they had first played in concert. The band was also famous for its extended musical improvisations, having been described as having never played the same song the same way twice. Their concert sets often blended songs, one into the next, often for more than three songs at a time.

===Concert sound systems===
The [[Wall of Sound (Grateful Dead)|Wall of Sound]] was a large sound system designed specifically for the band.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pechner.smugmug.com/gallery/2383161|title=Pechner Productions- powered by SmugMug|publisher=Pechner.smugmug.com|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125144654/http://www.pechner.smugmug.com/gallery/2383161|archive-date=November 25, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alembic.com/family/history.html|title=Alembic History&nbsp;– Long Version|publisher=Alembic.com|date=August 22, 2001|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712132709/http://alembic.com/family/history.html|archive-date=July 12, 2011}}</ref> The band was never satisfied with the house system anywhere they played. After the Monterey Pop Festival, the band's crew 'borrowed' some of the other performers' sound equipment and used it to host some free shows in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/may-june-1967-grateful-dead-itinerary.html|title=May–June 1967 Grateful Dead Itinerary Overview|publisher=lostlivedead.blogspot.com|date=January 1, 2010|access-date=October 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919184758/http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2010/01/may-june-1967-grateful-dead-itinerary.html|archive-date=September 19, 2011}}</ref> In their early days, soundman [[Owsley Stanley|Owsley "Bear" Stanley]] designed a [[public address]] (PA) and monitor system for them. Stanley was the Grateful Dead's soundman for many years; he was also one of the largest suppliers of [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]].<ref>McNally, Dennis, "A Long Strange Trip", New York 2002, pp. 118–19. {{ISBN|0-7679-1185-7}} and Brightman, Carol, "Sweet Chaos", New York 1998, pp. 100–04. {{ISBN|0-671-01117-0}}</ref> 

Stanley's sound systems were delicate and finicky, and frequently brought shows to a halt with technical breakdowns. After Stanley went to jail for manufacturing LSD in 1970, the group briefly used house PAs, but found them to be even less reliable than those built by their former soundman. On February 2, 1970, the group contacted [[Bob Heil]] to use his system.<ref name="performing">{{cite news|url=http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/dec08/articles/bobheil.htm?print=yes#top|title=The Night that Modern Live Sound Was Born: Bob Heil and the Grateful Dead|last=Daley|first=Dan|date=December 2008|publisher=Performing Musician|access-date=May 7, 2011|archive-date=October 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005221916/http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/dec08/articles/bobheil.htm?print=yes#top|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1971, the band purchased their first [[solid state (electronics)|solid-state]] sound system from [[Pacific High Recording|Alembic Studios]]. Because of this, [[Alembic Inc|Alembic]] would play an integral role in the research, development, and production of the Wall of Sound. The band also welcomed [[Dan Healy (soundman)|Dan Healy]] into the fold on a permanent basis that year. Healy would mix the Grateful Dead's live sound until 1993.

Following Jerry Garcia's death and the band's breakup in 1995, their current sound system was inherited by [[Dave Matthews Band]]. Dave Matthews Band debuted the sound system April 30, 1996, at the first show of their 1996 tour in Richmond, Virginia.

===Tapes===
Like several other bands at the time, the Grateful Dead allowed their fans to record their shows. For many years the [[Taper (concert)|tapers]] set up their microphones wherever they could, and the eventual forest of microphones became a problem for the sound crew. Eventually, this was solved by having a dedicated taping section located behind the soundboard, which required a special "tapers" ticket. The band allowed sharing of their shows, as long as no profits were made on the sale of the tapes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead|title=Internet Archive: Grateful Dead|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719012925/http://www.archive.org/details/GratefulDead|archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref>

Of the approximately 2,350 shows the Grateful Dead played, almost 2,200 were taped, and most of these are available online.<ref>{{cite news|author=Ratliff, Ben|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/arts/music/12ratl.html|title=Bring Out Your Dead|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 10, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521041217/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/arts/music/12ratl.html|archive-date=May 21, 2016}}</ref> The band began collecting and cataloging tapes early on and [[Dick Latvala]] was their keeper. "[[Dick's Picks]]" is named after Latvala. After his death in 1999, [[David Lemieux (archivist)|David Lemieux]] gradually took the post. Concert set lists from a subset of 1,590 Grateful Dead shows were used to perform a comparative analysis between how songs were played in concert and how they are listened online by [[Last.fm]] members.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Rodriguez, Marko |author2=Gintautas, Vadas |author3=Pepe, Alberto|url=http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2273/2064|title=A Grateful Dead Analysis: The Relationship Between Concert and Listening Behavior|work=[[First Monday (journal)|First Monday]]|date=January 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202170336/http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2273/2064|archive-date=December 2, 2010}}</ref> In their book ''Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From the Most Iconic Band in History'',<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-0-470-90052-9|title=Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From the Most Iconic Band in History|author1=Scott, David Meerman |author2=Hlligan, Brian|date=August 2, 2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons }}</ref> [[David Meerman Scott]] and [[Brian Halligan]] identify the taper section as a crucial contributor to increasing the Grateful Dead's fan base.

==Iconography==

Over the years, a number of iconic images have come to be associated with the Grateful Dead. Many of these images originated as artwork for concert posters or album covers.

;Skull and Roses
:The skull and roses design was composed by [[Alton Kelley]] and [[Stanley Mouse]], who added lettering and color, respectively, to a black and white drawing by [[Edmund Joseph Sullivan]]. Sullivan's drawing was an illustration for a 1913 edition of the ''[[Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam]]''. Earlier antecedents include the custom of exhibiting the relic skulls of Christian martyrs decorated with roses on their feast days. The rose is an attribute of [[Saint Valentine]], who according to one legend, was martyred by decapitation. Accordingly, in Rome, at the church dedicated to him, the observance of his feast day included the display of his skull surrounded by roses.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rome: A Holiday Magazine Travel Guide|publisher=Random House|location=New York|date=1960}}</ref> Kelley and Mouse's design originally appeared on a poster for the September 16 and 17, 1966, Dead shows at the [[Avalon Ballroom]].<ref>{{cite news|author=du Lac, J. Freedom|title=The Dead's Look Is Born|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 12, 2009|page=E-8}}</ref> Later, it was used as the cover for the album ''[[Grateful Dead (album)|Grateful Dead]]'' (1971). The album is sometimes referred to as ''Skull and Roses''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Skull_And_Roses.htm|title=''Grateful Dead (Skull and Roses)'' on|publisher=Deaddisc.com|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726003437/http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Skull_And_Roses.htm|archive-date=July 26, 2011}}</ref>

;Jester
:Another icon of the Dead is a skeleton dressed as a [[jester]] and holding a [[lute]]. This image was an airbrush painting, created by Stanley Mouse in 1972. It was originally used for the cover of ''The Grateful Dead Songbook''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dead.net/archives/1972/clippings/grateful-dead-songbook-front|title="Grateful Dead Songbook (Front)" on|publisher=Dead.net|date=November 5, 1972|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511235946/http://www.dead.net/archives/1972/clippings/grateful-dead-songbook-front|archive-date=May 11, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rockpopgallery.com/items/art-prints/grateful-dead-songbook-jester-ltd-edition-digital-print-ledp-smgdj1-detail.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722143030/http://rockpopgallery.com/items/art-prints/grateful-dead-songbook-jester-ltd-edition-digital-print-ledp-smgdj1-detail.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2012|title="Mouse Grateful Dead Songbook Jester" on|publisher=Rockpopgallery.com|access-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>

;"Dancing" Bears
:A series of stylized bears who appear to be dancing was drawn by Bob Thomas as part of the back cover for the album ''[[History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice)]]'' (1973). Thomas reported that he based the bears on a lead [[Sort (typesetting)|sort]] from an unknown [[font]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dead.net/archives/1973/artwork/history-grateful-dead-vol-1-bears-choice-back|title=Back cover of ''History of the Grateful Dead Vol. 1 (Bear's Choice)'' on|publisher=Dead.net|date=July 6, 1973|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511235924/http://www.dead.net/archives/1973/artwork/history-grateful-dead-vol-1-bears-choice-back|archive-date=May 11, 2011}}</ref> The bear is a reference to [[Owsley Stanley|Owsley "Bear" Stanley]], who recorded and produced the album. Bear himself wrote, "the bears on the album cover are not really 'dancing'. I don't know why people think they are; their positions are quite obviously those of a high-stepping march."<ref name="bearstory">{{cite web|url=http://www.thebear.org/bearstory.html|title=Creation of the dancing bear, as told by Owsley "Bear" Stanley|publisher=Thebear.org|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716162520/http://www.thebear.org/bearstory.html|archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>

;''Steal Your Face'' Skull
:Perhaps the best-known Grateful Dead art icon is a red, white, and blue skull with a lightning bolt through it. The lightning bolt skull can be found on the cover of the album ''[[Steal Your Face]]'' (1976), and the image is sometimes known by that name. It was designed by [[Owsley Stanley]] and artist Bob Thomas, and was originally used as a logo to mark the band's equipment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebear.org/GDLogo.html|title=Creation of the lightning bolt skull, as told by Owsley "Bear" Stanley|publisher=Thebear.org|access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716162431/http://www.thebear.org/GDLogo.html|archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>

;Dancing Terrapins
:The two dancing [[terrapin]]s first appeared on the cover of the album ''[[Terrapin Station]]'' (1977). They were drawn by Kelley and Mouse, based on a drawing by [[Heinrich Kley]]. Since then these turtles have become one of the Grateful Dead's most recognizable logos.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huber |first=Chris |date=March 3, 2021 |title=The History and Meaning of the Grateful Dead Terrapin Turtles |url=https://extrachill.com/2021/03/grateful-dead-terrapin-turtles-meaning.html |website=Extra Chill}}</ref>

;Uncle Sam Skeleton
:The Uncle Sam skeleton was devised by Gary Gutierrez as part of the animation for ''[[The Grateful Dead Movie]]'' (1977).<ref>McNally, p.&nbsp;499</ref> The image combines the Grateful Dead skeleton motif with the character of [[Uncle Sam]], a reference to the then-recently written song "U.S. Blues", which plays during the animation.

==Deadheads==
{{Main|Deadhead}}

Fans and enthusiasts of the band are commonly referred to as [[Deadhead]]s. While the origin of the term may be unclear, ''Dead Heads'' were made canon by the notice placed inside the ''[[Grateful Dead (album)|Skull and Roses]]'' (1971) album by manager Jon McIntire:

{{blockquote|DEAD FREAKS UNITE: Who are you? Where are you? How are you?<br/>Send us your name and address and we'll keep you informed.<br/>Dead Heads, P.O. Box 1065, San Rafael, California 94901.}}
As each show featured a new setlist and a great deal of improvisation, Deadheads would often follow the band from city to city, attending many shows on a given tour. Many Deadheads speak of being drawn to the culture due to the sense of community that the band's shows tended to foster. Though Deadheads came from a wide array of demographics, many attempted to reproduce the aesthetics and values of the [[counterculture of the 1960s|1960s counterculture]] and were often stigmatized in the media.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deadheads – Subcultures and Sociology |url=https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/ |access-date=March 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731040849/https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Because of the stereotyping of Deadheads as [[hippie]]s, the band's shows became a common target for officials in the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] and arrests at shows became common.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 28, 1994 |title=DEA targeting 'Deadheads' at concerts |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-03-28-1994087078-story.html |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref> 

As a group, the Deadheads were considered very mellow. "I'd rather work nine Grateful Dead concerts than one Oregon football game," Police Det. Rick Raynor said. "They don't get belligerent like they do at the games."<ref>{{cite news|first=Ted|last=Brock|title=Morning briefing: In Oregon, they're grateful for all the extra cash they get|work=Los Angeles Times|page=C2|date=June 26, 1990}}</ref> Despite this reputation, in the mid-1990s, as the band's popularity grew, there were a series of minor scuffles occurring at shows that peaked with a large scale riot at the [[Deer Creek Music Center]] near Indianapolis in July 1995. This [[gate crashing]] incident caused the band to cancel the following night's show.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deadheads Crash Fence During Grateful Dead Concert At Deer Creek On This Date 25 Years Ago |url=https://www.jambase.com/article/deadheads-crash-fence-during-grateful-dead-concert-at-deer-creek-on-this-date-25-years-ago |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=JamBase |language=en-US}}</ref> Deadheads who appeared on the scene after the band's 1987 hit single "[[Touch of Grey]]", were often disparagingly referred to by older fans as "Touchheads". Beginning in the 1980s, a number of definable sects of Deadheads began to appear on the scene. These included the [[Wharf Rats]], as well as the "spinners", named for [[Sufi whirling|whirling]]-style of dancing and their use of the band's music to facilitate [[mystical experience]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apichella |first=Mike |title=Deadheads, Spinners and Spirituality |url=https://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/deadheads-spinners-and-spirituality |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=Splice Today |language=en}}</ref>

Deadheads, particularly those who collected [[taper (concert)|tapes]], were known for keeping close records of the band's setlists and for comparing various live versions of the band's songs, as reflected in publications such as the various editions of "Deadbase" and "The Deadhead's Taping Compendium". This practice continues into the 21st century on digital forums and websites such as the [[Internet Archive#Grateful Dead|Internet Archive]], which features live recordings of nearly every available Grateful Dead show and allows users to discuss and review the site's shows.

The band has [[Deadhead#Celebrities|a number of influential and celebrity fans]], including politicians, businesspeople, journalists, and other musicians.

==Donation of archives to UC Santa Cruz==
On April 24, 2008, members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, along with Nion McEvoy, CEO of [[Chronicle Books]], [[University of California, Santa Cruz|UC Santa Cruz]] chancellor [[George Blumenthal (astrophysicist)|George Blumenthal]], and UC Santa Cruz librarian Virginia Steel, held a press conference announcing UCSC's [[McHenry Library]] would be the permanent home of the [[Grateful Dead Archive]], which includes a complete archival history from 1965 to the present. The archive includes correspondence, photographs, fliers, posters, and several other forms of memorabilia and records of the band. Also included are unreleased videos of interviews and TV appearances that will be installed for visitors to view, as well as stage backdrops and other props from the band's concerts.

Blumenthal stated at the event, "The Grateful Dead Archive represents one of the most significant popular cultural collections of the 20th century; UC Santa Cruz is honored to receive this invaluable gift. The Grateful Dead and UC Santa Cruz are both highly innovative institutions—born the same year—that continue to make a major, positive impact on the world." Guitarist Bob Weir stated "We looked around, and UC Santa Cruz seems the best possible home. If you ever wrote the Grateful Dead a letter, you'll probably find it there!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.ucsc.edu/2008/04/2142.html|title=Grateful Dead Archive News |website=[[University of California, Santa Cruz]]|date=April 24, 2008 |access-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825062823/http://news.ucsc.edu/2008/04/2142.html|archive-date=August 25, 2011}}</ref>

Professor of music [[Fredric Lieberman]] was the key contact between the band and the university, who let the university know about the search for a home for the archive, and who had collaborated with Mickey Hart on three books in the past, ''Planet Drum'' (1990), ''Drumming at the Edge of Magic'' (1991), and ''Spirit into Sound'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=2142|date=April 24, 2008|title=Grateful Dead Donates Archives to UC Santa Cruz|first=Scott|last=Rappaport|work=UC Santa Cruz News and Events|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528021452/http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=2142|archive-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref><ref>Green, Joshua. [https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201003/grateful-dead-archives "Management Secrets of the Grateful Dead"] ''[[The Atlantic]]'', March 2010</ref><ref name=goodreads>{{cite web|url=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/97122.Fredric_Lieberman|title=Goodreads: Fredric Lieberman|access-date=June 29, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110121236/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/97122.Fredric_Lieberman|archive-date=November 10, 2012}}</ref>

The first large-scale exhibition of materials from the Grateful Dead Archive was mounted at the [[New-York Historical Society]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society|url=http://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/grateful-dead-now-playing|website=New-York Historical Society|access-date=February 3, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203213751/http://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/grateful-dead-now-playing|archive-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref>

==Awards==
In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' ranked the Grateful Dead No.&nbsp;57 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/grateful-dead-19691231|title=100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Grateful Dead|author=Haynes, Warren|work=Rolling Stone issue 946|access-date=May 8, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505032130/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/grateful-dead-19691231|archive-date=May 5, 2011|date=December 3, 2010}}</ref>

On February 10, 2007, the Grateful Dead received a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]]. The award was accepted on behalf of the band by Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.<ref>Zeidler, Sue (February 11, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070510195305/http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2007-02-11T105438Z_01_N11281332_RTRIDST_0_ENTERTAINMENT-GRAMMYS-LIFETIME-COL.XML "Death Permeates Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards"], Reuters, via the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 7, 2014.</ref>

In 2011, a recording of the Grateful Dead's May 8, 1977, concert at Cornell University's Barton Hall was selected for induction into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/complete-national-recording-registry-listing/|title=Complete National Recording Registry Listing – National Recording Preservation Board &#124; Programs |website=Library of Congress |access-date=May 26, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520050712/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/complete-national-recording-registry-listing/|archive-date=May 20, 2017}}</ref>

Twelve members of the Grateful Dead (the eleven official performing members plus Robert Hunter) were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994, and [[Bruce Hornsby]] was their presenter.<ref name="rockhallgd1"/>

In 2024 the band was named as one of the recipients of the [[Kennedy Center Honors]]. The three living core members (Weir, Hart and Kreutzmann) received the award.<ref name="Grateful Dead, Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt on 2024 Kennedy Center Honors list">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/07/17/nx-s1-5043409/2024-kennedy-center-honors|title=Grateful Dead, Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt on 2024 Kennedy Center Honors list|work=NPR |date=July 18, 2024 |publisher=Isabella Gomez |last1=Sarmiento |first1=Isabella Gomez }}</ref> As he was named a recipient prior to his death, Lesh received the award posthumously.

==Members==
{{Main|List of Grateful Dead members}}
[[File:Mickey Hart and band mate Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.jpg|thumb|Mickey Hart and Bob Weir at the 200th celebration of the founding of the [[Library of Congress]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], in 2000]]
=== Former members ===
*[[Jerry Garcia]] – lead and backing vocals, guitars <small>(1965–1995; his death)</small>
*[[Bob Weir]] – lead and backing vocals, guitars <small>(1965–1995)</small>
*[[Phil Lesh]] – bass guitar, backing and lead vocals <small>(1965–1995; died 2024)</small>
*[[Bill Kreutzmann]] – drums, percussion <small>(1965–1995)</small>
*[[Ron "Pigpen" McKernan]] – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, organ, harmonica, percussion, occasional guitar <small>(1965–1972; died 1973)</small>
*[[Mickey Hart]] – drums, percussion <small>(1967–1971; 1974–1995)</small>
*[[Tom Constanten]] – keyboards <small>(1968–1970)</small>
*[[Keith Godchaux]] – keyboards, backing vocals <small>(1971–1979; died 1980)</small>
*[[Donna Jean Godchaux]] – backing and lead vocals <small>(1971–1979)</small>
*[[Brent Mydland]] – keyboards, backing and lead vocals <small>(1979–1990; his death)</small>
*[[Vince Welnick]] – keyboards, backing and lead vocals <small>(1990–1995; died 2006)</small>

=== Frequent collaborators ===
*[[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]] – lyrics <small>(1967–1995; died 2019)</small>
*[[Ned Lagin]] – keyboards, synthesizers <small>(1970–1975)</small>
*[[John Perry Barlow]] – lyrics <small>(1971–1995; died 2018)</small>
*[[Bruce Hornsby]] – keyboards, vocals <small>(1990–1992)</small>

Lead guitarist [[Jerry Garcia]] was often viewed both by the public and the media as the leader or primary spokesperson for the Grateful Dead, but was reluctant to be perceived that way, especially since he and the other group members saw themselves as [[musical collective|equal participants]] and contributors to their collective musical and creative output.<ref>"The way it works is it doesn't depend on a leader, and I'm not the leader of the Grateful Dead or anything like that; there isn't any fuckin' leader." [https://web.archive.org/web/20070504024939/http://www.geocities.com/mnoferi/garcia.html Jerry Garcia interview, ''Rolling Stone'', 1972]</ref><ref>"Garcia's influence on the overall chemistry of the band was surprisingly subtle, McNally tells NPR's Scott Simon. 'Jerry was not the leader, except by example. He was a charismatic figure.'"[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=908773 Simon, Scott. "'A Long Strange Trip': Insider McNally Writes a History of the Grateful Dead", NPR Music, January 11, 2003] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213151504/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=908773 |date=February 13, 2008}}</ref> Garcia, a native of San Francisco, grew up in the [[Excelsior District]]. One of his main influences was bluegrass music, and he also performed—on [[banjo]], one of his other great instrumental loves, along with the [[pedal steel guitar]]—in bluegrass bands, notably [[Old & In the Way]] with [[mandolin]]ist [[David Grisman]].

[[Ned Lagin]], a young [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] student and friend of the band, guested with them many times from 1970 through 1975, providing a second keyboard as well as synthesizers. Upon graduating from MIT, he began touring with the band fulltime in 1974, performing sets of electronic music with [[Phil Lesh]], occasionally with Garcia and Kreutzmann, during the band's intermission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nedbase.blogspot.com/2014/09/annotated-nedbase-1970-1975.html|title=NedBase: Annotated Nedbase 1970–1975|date=September 16, 2014}}</ref> The "Ned and Phil" set became a regular fixture of that era, and was featured nearly every night during their Summer '74 and Europe '74 tours, as well as their five-night residency at the [[Winterland Ballroom]] during October 1974. Lagin is also featured in ''[[The Grateful Dead Movie]]''. During 1974 and 1975, he would also occasionally play entire sets with the band, usually on Garcia's side of the stage, before ending his touring relationship with the band and focusing on his solo music projects, such as his album ''[[Seastones]]'', which features several members of the Dead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dead.net/deadcast/bonus-nedcast-ned-lagin|title=BONUS: The Nedcast with Ned Lagin|website=Grateful Dead}}</ref>

[[Bruce Hornsby]] never officially joined the band full-time because of his other commitments, but he did play keyboards at most Dead shows between September 1990 and March 1992, and sat in with the band over 100 times in all between 1988 and 1995. He added several Dead songs to his own live shows<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bruuuce.com/2014/06/11/bruce-hornsby-grateful-dead-covers|title= Hornsby Grateful Dead covers: Bruce Does the Dead |website=Bruuuce.com|access-date=May 6, 2019|date= June 11, 2014 }}</ref> and Jerry Garcia referred to him as a "floating member" who could come and go as he pleased.<ref>McNally, Dennis, "A Long Strange Trip", New York 2002, p. 447. {{ISBN|0-7679-1186-5}}</ref><ref>Scott, Dolgushkin, Nixon, "Deadbase X", New Hampshire, p. 79. {{ISBN|1-877657-21-2}}</ref><ref>Brown, David, "So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead", p. 382 (referencing Garcia's calling Hornsby a "floating member") DeCapo Books, Boston, 2015, {{ISBN|978-0306821707}}</ref>

[[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]] and [[John Perry Barlow]] were the band's primary [[lyricist]]s, starting in 1967 and 1971, respectively, and continuing until the band's dissolution.<ref name=Dead.net-RH>[http://www.dead.net/band/robert-hunter The Band: Robert Hunter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507100318/http://www.dead.net/band/robert-hunter |date=May 7, 2015 }}. Dead.net. Retrieved May 30, 2015</ref><ref name=Dead.net-JPB>[http://www.dead.net/band/john-perry-barlow?intcmp=topnav/john-perry-barlow The Band: John Perry Barlow] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528135929/http://www.dead.net/band/john-perry-barlow?intcmp=topnav%2Fjohn-perry-barlow |date=May 28, 2015 }}. Dead.net. Retrieved May 30, 2015</ref> Hunter collaborated mostly with Garcia and Barlow mostly with Weir, though each wrote with other band members as well. Both are listed as official members at Dead.net, the band's website, alongside the performing members.<ref name=Dead.net-band>[http://www.dead.net/band The Band] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508123200/http://www.dead.net/band |date=May 8, 2015 }}. Dead.net. Retrieved October 24, 2019</ref> Barlow was the only member not inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].

===Timeline===
{{#tag:timeline|
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ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1966

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 id:vocals  value:red         legend:Lead_and_backing_vocals
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 id:lguitar value:teal        legend:Lead_guitar
 id:rguitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar
 id:bass    value:blue        legend:Bass
 id:drums   value:orange      legend:Drums
 id:perc    value:claret      legend:Percussion 
 id:keys    value:purple      legend:Keyboards 
 id:harm    value:lavender    legend:Harmonica
 id:touring value:yellow      legend:Touring_musician
 id:lyrics  value:skyblue     legend:Lyricist
 id:lines   value:black       legend:Studio_album
 id:lives   value:gray(0.65)  legend:Contemporary_live_album
 id:bars    value:gray(0.95)

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  bar:Jerry  text: Jerry&nbsp;Garcia&nbsp;
  bar:Bob    text: Bob&nbsp;Weir
  bar:Phil   text: Phil&nbsp;Lesh
  bar:Bill   text: Bill&nbsp;Kreutzmann
  bar:Mickey text: Mickey&nbsp;Hart
  bar:Pigpen text: Ron&nbsp;McKernan&nbsp;
  bar:Tom    text: Tom&nbsp;Constanten
  bar:Keith  text: Keith&nbsp;Godchaux&nbsp;
  bar:Ned    text: Ned&nbsp;Lagin
  bar:Brent  text: Brent&nbsp;Mydland&nbsp;
  bar:Vince  text: Vince&nbsp;Welnick&nbsp;
  bar:Bruce  text: Bruce&nbsp;Hornsby
  bar:Donna  text: Donna&nbsp;Godchaux
  bar:Robert text: Robert&nbsp;Hunter&nbsp; 
  bar:John   text: John&nbsp;Perry&nbsp;Barlow&nbsp;

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  bar:Brent  from:01/01/1989 till:23/07/1990 width:3

  color:v
  bar:Phil   from:start      till:25/12/1974 width:3
  bar:Phil   from:11/03/1989 till:end        width:3
  bar:Donna  from:31/12/1971 till:17/02/1979
  bar:Bruce  from:07/09/1990 till:09/03/1992 width:3
  bar:Keith  from:19/09/1971 till:17/02/1979 width:3
  bar:Brent  from:22/04/1979 till:01/01/1989 width:3
  bar:Vince  from:07/09/1990 till:end        width:3

  color: lguitar
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  bar:Mickey from:20/10/1974 till:end

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  bar:Mickey from:30/01/1970 till:18/02/1971 width:3 
  bar:Mickey from:20/10/1974 till:end        width:3
  bar:Pigpen from:01/09/1967 till:30/01/1970

  color:rguitar
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  color:bass
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  color:harm
  bar:Pigpen from:start      till:17/06/1972 width:7

  color:keys
  bar:Pigpen from:start      till:01/03/1969
  bar:Pigpen from:31/01/1970 till:17/06/1972
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  bar:Phil   from:01/09/1967 till:18/07/1968 width:7
  bar:Bill   from:01/09/1967 till:18/07/1968 width:7
  bar:Mickey from:29/09/1967 till:18/07/1968 width:3
  bar:Keith  from:19/09/1971 till:17/02/1979
  bar:Bruce  from:07/09/1990 till:09/03/1992
  bar:Ned    from:23/06/1974 till:17/06/1975
  bar:Brent  from:22/04/1979 till:23/07/1990
  bar:Vince  from:07/09/1990 till:end

  color:touring
  bar:Tom    from:01/09/1967 till:23/11/1968 width:3
  bar:Ned    from:23/06/1974 till:17/06/1975 width:3
  bar:Bruce  from:07/09/1990 till:09/03/1992 width:7

  color:lyrics
  bar:Jerry  from:start      till:01/09/1967 width:7
  bar:Robert from:01/09/1967 till:09/07/1995
  bar:John   from:01/09/1971 till:09/07/1995

LineData =
 at:17/03/1967 color:black layer:back #>The Grateful Dead<#
 at:18/07/1968 color:black layer:back #>Anthem of the Sun<#
 at:20/06/1969 color:black layer:back #>Aoxomoxoa<#
 at:01/11/1970 color:black layer:back #>American Beauty<#
 at:14/06/1970 color:black layer:back #>Workingman's Dead<#
 at:15/10/1973 color:black layer:back #>Wake of the Flood<#
 at:27/06/1974 color:black layer:back #>From the Mars Hotel<#
 at:01/09/1975 color:black layer:back #>Blues for Allah<#
 at:27/07/1977 color:black layer:back #>Terrapin Station<#
 at:15/11/1978 color:black layer:back #>Shakedown Street<#
 at:28/04/1980 color:black layer:back #>Go to Heaven<#
 at:06/07/1987 color:black layer:back #>In the Dark<#
 at:31/10/1989 color:black layer:back #>Built to Last<#

 at:11/10/1969 color:lives layer:back #>Live/Dead<#
 at:24/10/1971 color:lives layer:back #>Skull and Roses<#
 at:05/11/1972 color:lives layer:back #>Europe '72<#
 at:13/07/1973 color:lives layer:back #>Bear's Choice<#
 at:26/06/1976 color:lives layer:back #>Steal Your Face<#
 at:01/04/1981 color:lives layer:back #>Reckoning<#
 at:26/08/1981 color:lives layer:back #>Dead Set<#
 at:30/01/1989 color:lives layer:back #>Dylan & the Dead<#
 at:01/09/1990 color:lives layer:back #>Without a Net<#

}}

==Discography==
{{Main|Grateful Dead discography}}
{{See also|Unfinished Grateful Dead album}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[The Grateful Dead (album)|The Grateful Dead]]'' (1967)
*''[[Anthem of the Sun]]'' (1968)
*''[[Aoxomoxoa]]'' (1969)
*''[[Live/Dead]]'' (1969)
*''[[Workingman's Dead]]'' (1970)
*''[[American Beauty (album)|American Beauty]]'' (1970)
*''[[Grateful Dead (album)|Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)]]'' (1971)
*''[[Europe '72]]'' (1972)
*''[[History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice)]]'' (1973)
*''[[Wake of the Flood]]'' (1973)
*''[[From the Mars Hotel]]'' (1974)
*''[[Blues for Allah]]'' (1975)
*''[[Steal Your Face]]'' (1976)
*''[[Terrapin Station]]'' (1977)
*''[[Shakedown Street]]'' (1978)
*''[[Go to Heaven]]'' (1980)
*''[[Reckoning (Grateful Dead album)|Reckoning]]'' (1981)
*''[[Dead Set (album)|Dead Set]]'' (1981)
*''[[In the Dark (Grateful Dead album)|In the Dark]]'' (1987)
*''[[Dylan & the Dead]]'' (1989)
*''[[Built to Last]]'' (1989)
*''[[Without a Net]]'' (1990)
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Rock music}}
* [[Internet Archive#Copyright issues|Internet Archive – Copyright issues]]
* [[List of Grateful Dead cover versions]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|40em}}
* {{cite book|last=Allen|first=Scott W.|title=Aces Back to Back: The History of the Grateful Dead (1965–2013)|publisher=Outskirts Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1478719434}}
* {{cite book|last=Brandelius|first=Jerilyn Lee|author-link=Jerilyn Lee Brandelius|title=The Grateful Dead Family Album|title-link=The Grateful Dead Family Album|publisher=Last Gasp|year=1989|isbn=978-0-86719-873-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Browne|first=David|title=So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2015|isbn=978-0306821707}}
* {{cite book|last1=Dodd|first1=David|last2=Spaulding|first2=Diana|title=The Grateful Dead Reader|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2001|isbn=0-19-514706-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Gans|first=David | author-link = David Gans (musician)|title=Conversations with the Dead: The Grateful Dead Interview Book|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2002|isbn=0-306-81099-9}}
* {{cite book|last1=Gans|first1=David|last2=Simon|first2=Peter|title=Playing in the Band: An Oral and Visual Portrait of the Grateful Dead|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=1985|isbn=978-0-312-61630-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Gerould|first=Gordon Hall | author-link =Gordon Hall Gerould |title=The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story|publisher=D. Nutt, London|year=1908}}
* {{cite book|last=Greenfield|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Greenfield|title=Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia|publisher=William Morrow|year=1996|isbn=9780688147822}}
* {{cite book|last=Harrison|first=Hank|title=The Dead Book: A Social History of the Grateful Dead|publisher=Links|year=1973|isbn=978-0825630019}}
* {{cite book|last1=Hart|first1=Mickey|last2=Stevens|first2=Jay|title=Drumming at the Edge of Magic: A Journey into the Spirit of Percussion|publisher=Harper|year=2000|isbn=978-0062503725|url=https://archive.org/details/drummingatedgeofm00hart}}
* {{cite book|last=Jackson|first=Blair|title=Garcia: An American Life|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1999|isbn=0-670-88660-2|url=https://archive.org/details/garcia00blai}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jackson|first1=Blair|last2=Gans|first2=David|title=This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead|publisher=Flatiron Books|year=2015|isbn=978-1250058560}}
* {{cite book|last=Kelly|first=Linda|title=Deadheads: Stories from Fellow Artists, Friends & Followers of the Grateful Dead|publisher=Skyhorse|year=2015|isbn=9781510734494}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kreutzmann|first1=Bill|last2=Eisen|first2=Benjy|title=Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=2015|isbn=978-1-250-03379-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Lesh|first=Phil|title=Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead|publisher=Little, Brown and Co.|year=2005|isbn=0-316-00998-9|url=https://archive.org/details/searchingforsoun00lesh}}
* {{cite book|last=McNally|first=Dennis|title=A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead|url=https://archive.org/details/longstrangetripi00mcna_0|url-access=registration|publisher=Broadway Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7679-1186-3}}
* {{cite book|last1=Miskiewicz|first1=Chris|last2=Van Sciver|first2=Noah|title=[[Grateful Dead Origins]]|publisher=Z2 Comics|year=2020|isbn=9781940878300}}
* {{cite book|last1=Parish|first1=Steve|last2=Layden|first2=Joe|title=Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0312303532}}
* {{cite book|last=Richardson|first=Peter|title=No Simple Highway: A Cultural History of the Grateful Dead|url=https://archive.org/details/nosimplehighwayc0000rich|url-access=registration|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=2015|isbn=978-1250010629}}
* {{cite book|last1=Scully|first1=Rock | author-link =Rock Scully|last2=Dalton|first2=David | author2-link =David Dalton (writer)|title=Living with the Dead: Twenty Years on the Bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|year=1995|isbn=978-0-316-77712-4}}
* {{cite book|last1=Tuedio|first1=James A.|last2=Spector|first2=Stan|title=The Grateful Dead in Concert: Essays on Live Improvisation|publisher=McFarland|year=2010|isbn=978-0-7864-4357-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Weiner|first=Robert G.|title=Perspectives on the Grateful Dead: Critical Writings|publisher=Greenwood Press|year=1999|isbn=0-313-30569-2}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|commons=Category:Grateful Dead |b=no|voy=no|species=no|m=no|mw=no|n=Category:Grateful Dead|q=Grateful Dead|wikt=no|s=no|d=Q212533|v=no}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4397}}
* {{discogs artist|The Grateful Dead}}
* {{IMDb name|0335993}}
* {{Internet Archive music|id=GratefulDead}}
* [https://vault.fbi.gov/The%20Grateful%20Dead%20 FBI Records: The Vault – The Grateful Dead] at vault.fbi.gov

{{Grateful Dead|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Jerry Garcia}}
{{Bob Weir}}
{{Phil Lesh}}
{{Bill Kreutzmann}}
{{Mickey Hart}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2020s}}
{{MusiCares Person of the Year}}
{{1994 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Woodstock}}
{{Authority control}}

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