The Grateful Dead were one of the most fascinating rock bands and cultural phenomena of the twentieth century. Despite having few mainstream or Top 40 hits, over the thirty years of their history they acquired a dedicated following of fans, known as Deadheads, mostly through their live performances.
Known for their creative use of narcotics, and of course for their music with its long improvisations, inspired by blues, folk, and country, The Grateful Dead were more than just a fun-loving rock band; they were more like a religion or a cult.
Although they formally disbanded in 1995 after lead singer Jerry Garcia's untimely death, The Dead's legacy and its fans live on through a host of writings, tributes, biographies, fan magazines, online discussion groups and web sites. Here, for the first time, is the band's official story.
Not just a rock biography, and a brilliant one at that, it amounts to a compelling portrait of America's West Coast in the days of Acid Tests, Magic Buses and Merry Pranksters: a psychedelic, high-octane close encounter of the long-haired kind . . .
