Grateful Dead

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Maybe this will help me lighten up about Doc's dark passage... and perhaps let him know he's well-loved and we're just gonna wait to hear from him again. So after the usual preliminaries, Doc promises to send his favorite GD shows, best sound only (my request) from 67 to 74 (my request, again). And I like physical CDs so I can file 'em in chrono order on my live GD shelves. Geez, that's asking a lot, but Doc explained that his receipt of this music dedicated him to lifelong sharing without return favors. There's a Deadhead. One day a box arrives and it contains like 60-70 shows and nearly 100 CD-Rs. I almost had to strap on an adult diaper. In time, my ears get suspicious and we find that Doc has sent us 100 discs of MP3 files! Not high-rez flac, MP3s. So I call him and give him a good-natured "How could you???" He said, "Your ears can't tell." I said, "Why do you think I'm on the phone??" We laughed over it. And he promised to "make good." (Can you imagine how much work his first batch took, and what an ungrateful skunk in Colorado sounds like?) So, just based on his generosity, I obtain a pretty expensive, large-format B&W print of Pigpen in his overalls, playing harp, with Bobby in the shadows behind him taken by my photog friend, Larry Hulst, who's shot every rocker and blues-er since he came back from 'Nam in 1969. I roll it up, pack it in a triangular, not tubular, mailer and ship it off. Phone rings. It's Doc. Was that print expensive? he asks. Kinda, why? I ask. Cuz it arrived damaged, you shoulda used a thick round mailer, he said in a factual tone. Goddamn, so sorry, let me send you another, I say. Oh no, it's Pigpen and a little damage makes it even better, he said. So we're even in some weird karmic way, both having fumbled it slightly. Many months later, my listening buddy, Steve-o, and I are at his cabin in the foothills of the Rockies, absorbing yet another prime DaP. "Guess we'll never hear from the Doc again, eh?" We agree. Just a few days later, a small pkg arrives in the mail. It's a hard drive with 100 GD shows in high-res flac files, with tons of Freddie, BB and Albert King (Doc knows I love the three Kings), plus Muddy Waters; the thing is packed, all in high-rez files. The moral of the story: Doc always comes through, even for idiotic strangers like me. So tonight I'm sayin', Come on, baby, you're gonna pull through the darkness. You're gonna regain your coffee-fueled "Good Morning Rockers" attitude and our love and support is going to reach you and ease your passage back to the bright sunshine. I just hope you don't notice a couple of hot tears streakin' down my face right now.

Maybe this will help me lighten up about Doc's dark passage... and perhaps let him know he's well-loved and we're just gonna wait to hear from him again. So after the usual preliminaries, Doc promises to send his favorite GD shows, best sound only (my request) from 67 to 74 (my request, again). And I like physical CDs so I can file 'em in chrono order on my live GD shelves. Geez, that's asking a lot, but Doc explained that his receipt of this music dedicated him to lifelong sharing without return favors. There's a Deadhead. One day a box arrives and it contains like 60-70 shows and nearly 100 CD-Rs. I almost had to strap on an adult diaper. In time, my ears get suspicious and we find that Doc has sent us 100 discs of MP3 files! Not high-rez flac, MP3s. So I call him and give him a good-natured "How could you???" He said, "Your ears can't tell." I said, "Why do you think I'm on the phone??" We laughed over it. And he promised to "make good." (Can you imagine how much work his first batch took, and what an ungrateful skunk in Colorado sounds like?) So, just based on his generosity, I obtain a pretty expensive, large-format B&W print of Pigpen in his overalls, playing harp, with Bobby in the shadows behind him taken by my photog friend, Larry Hulst, who's shot every rocker and blues-er since he came back from 'Nam in 1969. I roll it up, pack it in a triangular, not tubular, mailer and ship it off. Phone rings. It's Doc. Was that print expensive? he asks. Kinda, why? I ask. Cuz it arrived damaged, you shoulda used a thick round mailer, he said in a factual tone. Goddamn, so sorry, let me send you another, I say. Oh no, it's Pigpen and a little damage makes it even better, he said. So we're even in some weird karmic way, both having fumbled it slightly. Many months later, my listening buddy, Steve-o, and I are at his cabin in the foothills of the Rockies, absorbing yet another prime DaP. "Guess we'll never hear from the Doc again, eh?" We agree. Just a few days later, a small pkg arrives in the mail. It's a hard drive with 100 GD shows in high-res flac files, with tons of Freddie, BB and Albert King (Doc knows I love the three Kings), plus Muddy Waters; the thing is packed, all in high-rez files. The moral of the story: Doc always comes through, even for idiotic strangers like me. So tonight I'm sayin', Come on, baby, you're gonna pull through the darkness. You're gonna regain your coffee-fueled "Good Morning Rockers" attitude and our love and support is going to reach you and ease your passage back to the bright sunshine. I just hope you don't notice a couple of hot tears streakin' down my face right now.

Maybe this will help me lighten up about Doc's dark passage... and perhaps let him know he's well-loved and we're just gonna wait to hear from him again. So after the usual preliminaries, Doc promises to send his favorite GD shows, best sound only (my request) from 67 to 74 (my request, again). And I like physical CDs so I can file 'em in chrono order on my live GD shelves. Geez, that's asking a lot, but Doc explained that his receipt of this music dedicated him to lifelong sharing without return favors. There's a Deadhead. One day a box arrives and it contains like 60-70 shows and nearly 100 CD-Rs. I almost had to strap on an adult diaper. In time, my ears get suspicious and we find that Doc has sent us 100 discs of MP3 files! Not high-rez flac, MP3s. So I call him and give him a good-natured "How could you???" He said, "Your ears can't tell." I said, "Why do you think I'm on the phone??" We laughed over it. And he promised to "make good." (Can you imagine how much work his first batch took, and what an ungrateful skunk in Colorado sounds like?) So, just based on his generosity, I obtain a pretty expensive, large-format B&W print of Pigpen in his overalls, playing harp, with Bobby in the shadows behind him taken by my photog friend, Larry Hulst, who's shot every rocker and blues-er since he came back from 'Nam in 1969. I roll it up, pack it in a triangular, not tubular, mailer and ship it off. Phone rings. It's Doc. Was that print expensive? he asks. Kinda, why? I ask. Cuz it arrived damaged, you shoulda used a thick round mailer, he said in a factual tone. Goddamn, so sorry, let me send you another, I say. Oh no, it's Pigpen and a little damage makes it even better, he said. So we're even in some weird karmic way, both having fumbled it slightly. Many months later, my listening buddy, Steve-o, and I are at his cabin in the foothills of the Rockies, absorbing yet another prime DaP. "Guess we'll never hear from the Doc again, eh?" We agree. Just a few days later, a small pkg arrives in the mail. It's a hard drive with 100 GD shows in high-res flac files, with tons of Freddie, BB and Albert King (Doc knows I love the three Kings), plus Muddy Waters; the thing is packed, all in high-rez files. The moral of the story: Doc always comes through, even for idiotic strangers like me. So tonight I'm sayin', Come on, baby, you're gonna pull through the darkness. You're gonna regain your coffee-fueled "Good Morning Rockers" attitude and our love and support is going to reach you and ease your passage back to the bright sunshine. I just hope you don't notice a couple of hot tears streakin' down my face right now.

crank it loud when you get it, so Doc can hear it.

I recently checked Doc's Dead.net profile and it has changed from an iconic photo of Bobby and Doc's real name and other information to a mere time since registering on Dead.net, his is currently 9 years 50 weeks. Then it struck me - and VERY LOUDLY - from my "internal, all natural, built-in built to last, 60+ year old Grateful Dead jukebox": CHINA DOLL

I read earlier of Doc's stroke, and I'm very sad that he had a stroke. If my calculations are correct, I believe Doc's is in his early to mid 60's*. Kinda early for a stroke, as I also believe he was in pretty good health, also. But stroke could happen at any age, and we don't know his family history, but that's beside the point right now. His private email to hendrixfreak, that was shared here, really took the breath from me and made me cry and scream. Way too dark. Doc 1st sent me the 3/72 Academy of Music shows, then he really pushed me back into his beloved 1971 with a good helping of shows. Thank you very much! Apparently, or at least the way I see it, Doc's preaching for 1971 caught the eyes of marye, Dave Lemieux and others (The Powers That Be), as the original 1st generation recordings of one of Dave's favorite shows, 11/17/71 was returned to the Grateful Dead recordings vault, and eventually became DaP 26. But I will say that Doc did not had a hand (or say) in that show's selection. It comes on the heels of 12/7/71, DaP 22 released May 2017. I wish Doc well.

I cannot add much more than what others have shared here except that I was touched and saddened by HF's shout-out. The last I heard from Doc was a few days ago, he said he was thinking about checking out, that things here had run it's course. I replied, but that was the last I have heard from him. David Duryeau also, which concerns me. I understand wanting to take a step back completely.. Doc is a kind soul. I have nothing but respect and wish him the absolute best in this world and the next. I might be naïve.. but I believe goodness gets returned. Sort of a karma thing. We all hit bumps in the road and we all have our days in the sun and days when life has kicked us hard and tossed us to the curb. My hope is that a series of unexpected positive things reach the good doctor and karma smiles back on him. The suns gonna shine in my back door someday.. right? Nothing but positive thoughts and much respect from JimInMD.

you are awesome

I recently had a surgical procedure (knee replacement) that is known for a long and painful recovery. 6 weeks post op I became depressed, which I learned is a common thing 6 weeks out. Point is depression is a real and powerful condition that is overwhelming and it could be a factor in how Doc is feeling. Hope the dark clouds pass and Doc has many good days ahead. Good Rockin Doc! Now what about David Duryea?

Let’s double down on ‘71 releases this year and announce the ‘71 box in the name of the good doc. Good Morning Rockers would be a fine title.