He was staying in a California drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in August 1995, at age 53. Although his overall health improved somewhat after the incident, he continued to struggle with obesity, smoking, and long-standing heroin and cocaine addictions. In 1986, he went into a diabetic coma that nearly cost him his life. Later in life, Garcia struggled with diabetes. Originating from the days of the ' Acid Tests', these improvisations were a form of exploration rather than playing a song already written. The idea of picking, of eliminating possibilities by deciding, that's difficult for me'. In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone, Garcia noted that 'my own preferences are for improvisation, for making it up as I go along. Garcia believed that improvisation took stress away from his playing and allowed him to make spur of the moment decisions that he would not have made intentionally. Garcia was renowned for his musical and technical ability, particularly his ability to play a variety of instruments and sustain long improvisations. In 2023, Garcia was ranked 34th by Rolling Stone. In the 2015 version of the list he was ranked at #46. He was well known for his distinctive guitar playing, and was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone 's '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time' cover story in 2003. He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. Garcia also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Saunders–Garcia Band (with longtime friend Merl Saunders), the Jerry Garcia Band, Old & In the Way, the Garcia/ Grisman and Garcia/ Kahn acoustic duos, Legion of Mary, and New Riders of the Purple Sage (which he co-founded with John Dawson and David Nelson). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Grateful Dead.Īs one of its founders, Garcia performed with the Grateful Dead for the band's entire 30-year career (1965–1995).

Although he disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader of the band. Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 1960s.

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