Jerry Garcia

Jerome John "Jerry" García was an American musician, songwriter, artist, and lead guitarist and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead. García was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group.

Performing with the Grateful Dead for its entire three-decade career (which spanned from 1965 to 1995), García participated in a variety of side projects, including the Jerry García Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, and Legion of Mary. García co-founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with John Dawson and David Nelson. He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. He was well known by many for his distinctive guitar playing and was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story.

Later in life, García was sometimes ill because of his unstable weight, and in 1986 experienced a diabetic coma that nearly cost him his life. Although his overall health improved somewhat after that, he also struggled with heroin addiction, and was residing in a drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in August 1995.