Remembering Jerry

I'll not defend Jerry's drug habits. Other band members tried and failed to get Jerry right. It took Phil a liver transplant to chill out. Jerry's genius was in the feeling he put into his music. When I listen to Wharf Rat (Jerry's stated that this was the saddest song for him to sing) , the feeling projected is so deep it makes me wanna cry. He wasn't the best singer, but his voice was beautiful and instantly recognizable. He was clearly the leader and took on more diverse side projects than the rest of the band in spite of the demons that killed him. He was of the 60's and remained true to that spirit. It was an end that suited him. That we had him as long as we did (Pigpen was gone at 27) is amazing and something to be Grateful for forever.

Blah, blah, blah...O.K. guys, you make some good points. I listened to "Working Man's Dead" last night and it is a damn good record and I did used to really like Live/Dead from 1969 or 70. I bought those when they came out along with Howard Wales' "Hooteroll?", and they're all real good. (Wish I could find a good sounding CD version of "Hooteroll?". The CD I have says 1972 but I swear it was earlier. Maybe I'm thinking of something else by Wales but I actually remember it from 1969. A lot of those years are a bit fuzzy, though.) "American Beauty" is another great album.

By the way, demons didn't kill Jerry, he killed himself. But he's still makin' money off me...my wife buys me garcia ties and boxers.

Hey Tom: Too bad Hendrix, Morrison and Elvis didn't have a clothing line. I'm sure they would've all hung in there longer like Jerry had they known about your wife's clothing purchases and the windfall that would've entailed. BTW I think Jerry's artwork sucked and never would've seen the light of day had he not been a rock star. Addiction is a sickness not a choice, so your epitaph for Jerry seems a bit callous. To each his own.

"...Addiction is a sickness not a choice..."

Everybody's a victim, huh? What in the HELL happened to personal responsibility?

He CHOSE to use drugs. He BECAME addicted. He could have CHOSEN to quit. He CHOSE to keep smoking HEROIN and God know what else.

Would he have still been an addict had he not CHOSEN to use drugs? I think not.

So you see...It seems to me that addiction is not so much a CHOICE, rather a result of BAD CHOICES.

Six of one, half-a-dozen of the the other!

Uh excuse me , wasn't Jerry found dead in a rehab? Kinda like the guy who said : "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it thousands of times."