NPR Music’s Days Between, which ran from August 1-9 this year, featured a number of articles about the Grateful dead and what draws people to them. They also discussed how the Grateful Dead’s legacy will be carried forward.
Grateful Dead fans have always shared a common experience. The reasons why people are fans can be as varied as the people who you ask. We asked Deadheads to tell us their story of becoming a Deadhead.
We got hundreds of replies. Stories shared by Deadheads are funny, tender and at times almost spiritual. All of them share a common trait: they all feel a personal, deep connection with the music and band. They’re about finding your tribe and also community. Below are a few.
The responses below have been edited to make them shorter and more concise.
I was invited to see a concert in 1987 at the Autzen Stadium by some friends. The band was mentioned to me. The culture was not explained to me. My parents were raised Catholic in Italy and immigrated to the United States. Seattle University was my school of choice and I had a career in business planned for me. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Music was my first thought when I arrived at the concert. Was I not prepared for was the culture. As soon as I arrived at the parking area, something was very different. I was immediately overcome with fear. This was so unlike what I’d been taught, or what the society expected of me. This group was very happy, glowing and giggling. It was strange to see people walk up and stare you straight in the eyes.
From the very first note, I felt a strong connection with the band. The experience was amazing, and so liberating. It was incredible, so freeing. This is what I did. The mountains are my passion and I [honed] all of my energy on the Himalaya. I was a high-altitude professional mountain guide for the Himalayas and guided them for over 27 years. The Grateful Dead would not have made it possible for me to follow my dream. It’s more than just their music. The combination of family, music, and community is what makes it so special. Everyone is accepted, except if you are a complete ******. — Matt Fioretti, Winthrop, Wash.
Live performances of the Grateful Dead are always best. We (he was only a boy-friend at the time) fell in love for the first time with The Dead when they performed in Tennessee in Tennessee in 2003 or 2004. After waiting for nearly two hours in torrential downpours, they opened the show by playing “Tennessee Jed.” It was a great show. After seeing the band at Fare Thee Well Chicago in 2015 and countless Dead & Co. concerts in Chicago, Alpine, Deer Creek and other cities from 2016 to now, our love of them has only grown. Our daughter was 11 when we took her to the first show in 2022. She is also “on bus”. — Heidi Norcross, Moline, Ill.
I was raised by my dad on the Dead. Since I was a child, Jerry Garcia has been “Papa Bear”, and Touch of Grey had me dancing around. The “Touch of Grey’ music video has changed my life. I have always loved skeletons. Now, thanks to the video, I am a doctor of orthopedics! It’s so good, I could watch it for hours. It’s a blessing that my father raised me well and gave me such a gracious community. The Dead have been a strong support in my life as I grew and became who I am. Grateful dead forever! — Jessica Miller, Rochester, N.Y.
It was a strange coincidence that led to my first encounter with the Grateful dead. My first introduction to the Grateful Dead was by chance. I was in my freshman year of high school, and we were in the middle of our school musical. Some of us were waiting in the hallway for our next rehearsal, and the older children had watched [The] Rocky Horror Picture Show. The kids were performing a great rendition of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and I found it so impressive that I had to get the soundtrack. One of the senior citizens shrugged off my question and replied, “I’m not sure, The Dead?” The cashier at the music shop pointed me in the direction of albums featuring “The Dead.” Cashier wasn’t sure but took me to Grateful dead section, where he handed me Skeletons From The Closet. The cassette was purchased and I listened through it all, but did not hear the song that my classmates had played. The new cassette I bought had some really good songs on it, so I played it repeatedly.
Jerry died that summer when I became old enough to drive my own car and go to concerts. I therefore never saw the Grateful Dead perform with Jerry. But I took every opportunity to catch any subsequent incarnation. The Other Ones played at Darien Lake, New York in 1998. The day was like a wonderful dream, with people of all ages who are accepting and love music having fun and enjoying themselves. My tribe was found! I had been hooked. Craig Carson from Lancaster, N.Y.
In 1974, my father asked the clerk at a department-store music section for music recommendations for his son’s birthday. Workingman’s Dead was recommended to him. From that day forward, I became addicted. I was hooked from that day on. — Mark Trump, Vancouver, Wash.
It was 1976 when I saw my first performance. My first show was in 1976.
It was an amazing show. The show was fantastic. I had a great time standing on the seat in the 15th rows.
Since then, I have been attending Dead concerts and playing Grateful Dead music. — Albert Kaufman, Portland, Ore.
As most teenagers, I fell in love with the very first girl to pay attention to me. A young date listened to records on her bed, with the door left open for Yia Yia to keep an eye. American Beauty was her second record she put on the needle and it really sucked me in. She told me she and her girlfriend had gone to the show the year before and they’d enjoyed it so I purchased two tickets when those were available. I had a great time dancing, spinning, and swaying. When the drummers started, I felt good. I was a Jerry & Mickey Hart fan and she was a Bob [Weir] devotee. — David Russo, Nashua, N.H.
In 1978, I was 16 years old and bought pot from an older VW van. He played some music while he was testing out the products. Never heard anything like it before. I liked a lot of ’60s music: [Jimi] Hendrix [Janis] Joplin and Led Zeppelin. But I had never heard such extended jams.
What are you listening to? The Dead was the answer. I said I’d heard songs such as “Casey Jones”, “Sugar Magnolia”, and others on the radio. He laughed, saying, “That isn’t real Dead. That is studio stuff.” You need to experience the Dead live in order to hear and understand the true music. It’s more than just the music.
The Kaiser Center in Oakland was my first opportunity to see the Dead. It wasn’t till the summer of 1979. The music and scene were amazing. After that, I saw many more shows until my family was born. When they were younger, I played Jerry’s albums for children and Dead songs acoustic in the background so that they could get used to the music.
In 2018, however, one of my children got tickets to see Dead & Company in Eugene at Autzen Stadium. John Mayer was a new artist to me, but I loved his music and had an amazing time. In the years since, I’ve seen many shows with my three children. From Mexico to The Sphere and most recently Golden Gate Park. All three kids enjoyed the ride. — James Russell, Leaburg, Ore.
In 1985, I was 14 years old and at Hershey Park. The parking lot surrounding Hershey Stadium had a lot of peace and Dead flags. I was intrigued and went to investigate. A group of young girls approached me as a punk-rock kid, and asked if i was a Dead fan. I replied no. The ticket was given to me and I entered the show! Since then, I have been a big fan. I saw every concert within an hour’s drive from my home and even toured with the band in early 1990s. The Grateful Dead changed my life. The Grateful dead became my second family, and I have lived with them well into my fifties. Eric Milliron from Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Dead’s music was introduced to me at a summer hockey camp before starting high school in Massachusetts. The majority of the music I heard was from their recordings in studio, particularly Skeletons From The Closet. Many people owned this tape. The Grateful Dead became my favorite band when I began collecting and listening to tapes of their concerts. My 10th grade geometry teacher at a Christian Brothers all-boys school in Pittsburgh gave me a bootleg recording of the Grateful Dead performing in Hershey in 1985. It was because of her kindness that I have been a Grateful dead fan for life. — Brendan Gibbons, Cattonsville, Md.
Everyone told me that I had missed my calling and was 15 years late. Then I saw a Dead concert and felt as if I had been transported back to the 1960s. I finally felt at home. The folding chairs were piled up at the rear of the dance floor by everyone so that we could all enjoy the music!
After attending a Dead concert, I realized that people are not selfish. They shared food, drinks, drugs, and gifts with me. It was the first time I learned how to be nice. In my first semester of college, I met Chris – a Deadhead with long hair. It was because I greatly admired Chris that I decided there must be something to this band. It was liberating and a happy feeling when I realised I didn’t have to plan, and I could decide just to go to shows (I lived in N.C.), and everything would work out. Our motto was: “If the show is not attended, it’s unlikely that you will get into.” This still works for me. — Jared Wolfsen, Eugene, Ore.
Jerry Garcia was only 15 when he died. When I got home from school, my father asked me who Jerry Garcia was. I sat down with him and listened for 23 minutes to “Dark Star”, from his vinyl album Live/Dead. It wasn’t the exact moment that I fell in Love with The Dead but this was certainly the beginning. I owe my father a lot. In the early days, I used to tape his albums so that I could play them on my Walkman. First song that I “got” is “Wharf Rat”, from “Skull and Roses”. It was a strange song, and I fell in love, even as a teenager. But, every note moved through me in the most bizarre way. The song lit up areas of my brain and body that I had never known existed. After listening to the same song 500 times, thirty years later I feel exactly the same. The next time I hear something different, it will light up my heart. This is a truly magical experience, which I find hard to describe! — Lauri Dunn-Peterson, Denver, Colo.
When I bought a pipe in a shop, the only one I found had Grateful Dead bears on it and “Steal Your Face”, a mandala. It was a surprise to me that despite seeing their art and hearing the name everywhere, I’d never listened to any of the music. On my way home, I decided to listen to the debut album to get a feel for what it sounds like. The psychedelic and bluesy sound of the album was a great fit for me. I quickly went through all the other studio albums. Reddit was my first stop for help on how to begin listening to live concerts. I ended up starting with Red Rocks’ 78. Since then, I’ve been addicted. — Jamie Devoe, Gainesville, Fla.
My boyfriend Veg was a Deadhead who had traveled a lot. We went to our first concert in Sacramento. I exchanged my shirt for a mandala tie dye that another vendor wore. We purchased a bus to travel with him on his summer tour, selling t-shirts he designed. The next tours were spent traveling across the country, selling shirts and dancing. This is one of my most grateful choices as a teenager. In 1990, we were touring when Brent Mydland died. Bruce Hornsby took over. After Jerry had left the plane, I saw Warren Haynes perform. Three years ago, I went to the Dead show in Vegas as a way of celebrating my divorce. Dark Star Orchestra shows are a great way to find the magic of old, but they don’t have the same effect as my bond with founding members. My bus, “Stella Blue”, and I are on the road. I am feeling free just like I was 35 years ago. Stacey Shephard from Seal Beach, Calif.
To be closer to my older brother Carl, I moved in 2010 from Fairbanks (Ark.) To be nearer to my brother Carl. Carl was a Grateful dead fan, but I did not get it. The Grateful Dead were broadcast live on KSUA each Sunday at 3pm. I didn’t understand it. We went to a small Alaskan festival, the Anderson Bluegrass Festival. A local band called Sport ‘n Woodies played a set of Grateful Dead covers. The next night, they played “Eyes of the World”, and suddenly I understood. The joyous and kindhearted atmosphere I experienced that night amongst the young and the old will never leave me. After my brother Carl died at an early age, the music of The Dead began to take on a new significance. The music of the dead reflects the kindness of my brother Carl. Now I’m grateful. Marshall Anderson White Rock, N.M.