Grateful Dead

Bill had long wavy red hair and a red beard. He always used to wear a cap with a Hot Tuna patch on it. I think it was a blue cap, Chinese type. I met him in NYC between shows. I was broke and he helped me out. We hit up the Floyd shows at Nassau and made our way down to the Capital Centre by train and hitching for the boys. He told me a weird story about his childhood which lead me to believe he was from the mid west perhaps. I remember catching up with him on the Haight and then at MSG during the Rainforest run. He passed out in a car next to me after booting dope. Worrying! Later he told me someone had taken his money while he was out! Something I never liked about NYC shows, THAT kinda stuff! A bro' named Tanith told me he'd read a newspaper article that said Bill had been shot in the head in Alphabet City. We guessed he'd been trying to score and got robbed! He was a really far out brother and sadly missed! Peace to u where ever u are brother!!! Are you kind?

Hey Now! For all those who knew him, Pauli is gone. I heard from The Balloon Lady that he passed away sometime in 2006 in San Francisco. He was apparently homeless and died on the road. He had become mentally unstable after years of "too much of everything". He was one of my best friends, a graduate of the "University of Space", a father, and a son. He is survived by his mother in Missouri. We had many a great adventure together. Pauli remains alive in our hearts, minds, and memories. "Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right" Peace, Jim & Zoe

Paul loved the Dead. Paul played his red gibson and he sounded alot like Jerry. Paul was a great friend. We moved out west together in 1984. I taught you how to ski and snowboard. You picked both up and you actually skiied really well. I remember when we hiked into the backcountry by Brighton and your leg fell into that hole and the snow froze and we couldn't get your leg out. I thought you were going to leave us right there. We had fun at the Snowbird, too. Life happened and you moved back east. Speedballs and wild turkey proved to be a bad combination. Paul had a thirst for the fast life. Paul also had a huge bootleg collection. I still have some that I borrowed. Morgantown '83 and Hershey '85, my favorite. I have a graet picture of you at Redrocks '84. I'll post it when I figure out how. You live in my mind Paul. Rest in peace!

Great guys that were taken in their prime. Both tragic losses for all involved.Both big fans of Jerry and the fellas. Although Burton could be a handfull at times, there was nothing but love going on here. Both were great atheletes, one basketball and golf and Burton was a gifted scoccer midfielder. Gone but never forgotten Fare the well...my brothers. “The Omnipotent Grateful Dead!”

Hey all, I was saddened to hear the news today of a former player I coached being murdered in Conway NH yesterday in an apparent botched robbery. Billy was one of three people killed. My heart goes out to his family at this time of sorrow; his parents and other brothers two of which I also coached.

Marty was a good friend of mine while I was stationed in Puerto Rico in the mid '90s. He was the proprietor of the Grateful Bed and Breakfast in Luquillo Puerto Rico. Sadly he died in a fire at his bed and breakfast in early 2001. I first met Marty not long after Jerry died. At the time I was new to the Navy (only out of bootcamp for a few months), and with news of Jerry's passing, I kind of sunk into the proverbial funk. I have family down there, but they had no idea who Jerry Garcia was (my great aunt thought he was a Puerto Rican salsa musician:) ) My barracks-mate found a copy of "Skeleton's Key" at the Exchange and picked it up for me, hoping to cheer me up. One evening, while flipping through the book, I came across the name and address for Marty's bed and breakfast. Holy crap, I thought, that just 20 minutes from base! I called and talked for a while to Marty. I took a few days leave and headed down. It was the hight of summer (the off-season) so I was the only guest. It was nice to hang out with another deadhead after all the previous months of military yahoos. Finally, someone who really understood the gravity of Jerry's death (most of my fellow shipmates made snide jokes to me about Jerry's death). It was a nice weekend. Because I was his only guest, we hung out, visiting his friends in the rain forest, hiking, and BSing. I also taped a ton of shows from his vast collection:) Every few weeks we'd get together for dinner or just to hang out and listen to tunes, talk politics, the Dead, and drink rum and cokes. I can't tell you how nice it was to have a deadhead friend down there. It was a nice escape from the military. Not long after, I was transfered to the fleet, and sent to the "four winds." We exchanged a few letters, but as these things often go, I lost touch. News of his passing saddened and angered me. I felt bad that I had lost touch. He was a great guy, attempting to create a little deadhead enclave in the middle of paradise. He is missed. Fare-thee-well Marty! Your friend, Mike. Yo Soy Boricua!

Brad was a good kid from NJ who got into it in the early nineties. He had a nice family and was a solid drummer! A solidly built guy who wore glasses, kinda thick lenses! He was a mellow cat, a lotta fun, too much sometimes! This especially worried me the last time I saw him at the Charlotte shows in '92. He was really messy! Doped out. I was worried he'd get popped as he seemed desperate to make some $ on the lot. I told him to cool it as it was crazy hot out there! He ended up getting put away sometime later. I think he did 2 years in a rehab style bootcamp in NY State. He was clean and started going to college after he got out. He had a nice girlfriend. I remember getting a piece of mail with his address and being really stoked. I opened it and there were photos of him. His mother and brother had written that he'd gone down to NYC to buy some "shirts" from a dude whose name rang a bell. They decided to party for old times sake. He overdosed! We have such blessings, why gamble everything for a buzz? We all need to ask ourselves this question at certain times I'm sure. Love and Light, J Are you kind?

A great bro' who spent the later few years of his life based up in Humboldt with his good brother Tom. They lived in a cool dome house! Joe was a fixture in the scene during the era my other friends (see above) and I were around. He was also a fine guitar player who I would have loved to have formed a band with. Sadly it was not to be! Another brother who passed due to a smack overdose. He'd been clean for awhile and relapsed. I would hope that all these losses set an example to our family to not waste our lives in this way. We should do something with our lives to spread the light we have found. I know we are more sensitive people than the rest, but we can't find true shelter in drug abuse. It's just an illusion. We need to look at the way the native Americans embrace sacrament use instead of abusing it. We're given an insight that we need to go out and spread not dull with addictive substances. We have shed too many tears! We need each other here-to support each other in our works. Let's keep on keeping on! Are you kind?

A really beautiful sister in so many ways! I heard she died from an overdose. She was into smack. You would never have known to look at her. I had a really freaky experience once. When I was at a Hare Krishna restaurant in New Zealand two girls came in with backpacks and were in line next to me. One with intense blue eyes. They had American accents so I said "hi"! We started to chat. The one said she was from Philly. I said I had a friend from there who died from an overdose. We locked eyes and both said her name at exactly the same time. Wow.........! I felt the presence of Candy standing in the space that was there where we three stood. Powerful! What are the chances of such a thing being coincidence? It wasn't a coincidence, of course. I think Candy was just trying to connect the energy and to send me a little message of love to give me strength at a trying time in my life when I really needed it and was going through some of the toughest times I've ever had! She was a good family sister and will always be missed. Gotta make it to the promised land...! Are you kind?

Another wonderful and sweet brother. He was usually to be found on Telegraph hanging out or in People's Park when it was still relatively hassle-free to do our thing there. He was a really fun cat! I don't know the exact details of his passing so I don't think I should write what I think I remember being told. His ex told me that his parents lived in El Cerrito at that time but I didn't find any listing in the phone directory for that area with that name last time I checked. Any more info on this would be wonderful! He was such a classic head! Shining on forever!!! Are you kind?