Jerry Garcia

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From their inception, the Grateful Dead were a band of contradictions. On the one hand, they were an unrepentant and unapologetic cult band; on the other, they were pioneers in bringing bluegrass, country, blues, and New Orleans jazz to a massive rock 'n' roll audience. They were also one of rock music's first jam bands—a designation usually applied more recently to bands such as Phish, Widespread Panic, moe., and The String Cheese Incident. This article explores 10 lesser-known facts about the Grateful Dead.

The Dead were more than just a rock band.

The Grateful Dead were also one of the most devoted philanthropic organizations in rock history. The band's philanthropic efforts included the Rex Foundation, the Shanti Foundation, the Tibetan Aid Project, the New Langley Schools, the Golden Gate National Park on the Air, the Bridge School, the Wavy Gravy's Hacienda and other benefit concerts, and the creation of the Dead Heads mailing list, arguably the first Internet mailing list. The band also raised funds for a wide variety of social and political causes, including the anti-nuclear movement, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the Human Rights Campaign, the National Wildlife Federation, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and Doctors Without Borders.

The Dead were originally called the Warlocks.

The Grateful Dead's original name was the Warlocks. The name came from a British folk tale about a coven of witches or warlocks who gathered on a specific night in the year and performed dark magic. According to the story, the Warlocks were present at the Salem witch trials. The group, who were actually cunning wizards, had gathered on a hill outside of Salem, Massachusetts, where they were performing a spell that would cause winter to come early so this would bring an end to the witch trials. The Warlocks' first gig was at the San Carlos girls' school in San Carlos, California, on May 5, 1965. The band was still using their original name at that time. The gig was a disaster, however, as the school administration mistakenly booked the Warlocks for a dance for students. The Warlocks were a garage rock band, and their music did not appeal to the school's young students.

A rare occasion when LSD did not inspire a Dead show.

On the one rare occasion when LSD did not inspire a Grateful Dead concert, the band was booked to play at a venue that required all its bands to play a set of music that was appropriate for kids. The Dead reluctantly agreed to this show, but got creative in finding ways to sneak in veiled references to their usual repertoire. This show, which took place on February 12, 1967, at the Jefferson Airplane's first venue, the San Francisco Schoolchildren's Center, was the first show for which the band played with a light show—and it was also the first show with a sizeable standing-room-only crowd.

Drummer Bill Kreutzmann was also a trained psychologist.

Drummer Bill Kreutzmann was also a trained psychologist. He studied psychology at San Francisco State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in marriage and family therapy. Kreutzmann later worked as a counselor at a residential facility for troubled youth in Marin County, California. In the early 1990s, Kreutzmann and his wife, Jill, founded the Family Jam Foundation, which help children and adults with emotional issues through music therapy. The Family Jam Foundation has helped people overcome anxiety and depression, improve their self-esteem, reduce stress, and improve their communication and social skills. Kreutzmann was also a frequent guest on Dr. Drew.

The band had many guest musicians over the years, including violist/fiddler Mario Diaz and percussionist Conga player Jose Perez.

The Grateful Dead's many guest musicians over the years included a wide range of talents. The band's rhythm section was often augmented by a variety of percussionists, including Conga player Jose "Chombo" Silva, who played with the band from 1972 to 1976. Other guest musicians included trombonist Don Carlos, Euphonium player Jack Shaw, trombonist/vocalist James "Hagwood" Vitoff, and percussionist/vocalist Ron "Chubby" Herron. The band's rhythm section was aided by a variety of violinists, including Emmylou Harris, David Grisman, and, most frequently, Mario Diaz, who played with the band from 1982 to 1995.

Despite their constant touring, the Grateful Dead were not very profitable—at least at first.

The Grateful Dead were one of the most popular touring bands in rock history. Although the band was wildly popular and played thousands of concerts, they were not very profitable at first. Most of the band's early concerts were in San Francisco, which had a small population. The Dead played at large venues in the Bay Area that had fewer than 2,500 seats. This meant that the band could not sell more than 2,500 tickets per concert, which was not enough to cover the costs of touring with a large crew. The band started making money on their concerts as early as 1967, but it was not until the late 1970s that the Dead could support themselves solely through concerts. The profitability of the Dead's concerts increased substantially in the 1990s when the band's fan base grew to include a much wider audience.

By 1996, however, the Grateful Dead had become one of the most lucrative bands in rock history.

The fact that the Grateful Dead were both cult bands and jam bands is fascinating, but it is important to note that the band became immensely profitable by 1996. That year, the Dead signed a 10-year $100 million contract with their tour promoter, called a "co-promotion" deal, in order to keep control of their music. This contract meant that the band would receive $12 million a year just for touring. The band also had a substantial number of albums and songs in the music streaming service industry. Most notably, the Dead had an estimated 200 million downloads at that time, the highest number for any band. The Dead's considerable earnings were proof that it is possible to maintain an underground culture without completely commercializing it.

Bassist Phil Lesh is a trained bassoonist and has an extensive background in classical music.

Bassist Phil Lesh, like drummer Bill Kreutzmann, was trained in classical music. He played the bassoon in the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra at one point during his youth. Lesh also has a wide-ranging appreciation and knowledge of classical music, including composers such as Beethoven, Brahms, Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Gustav Mahler. Lesh's classical music background was reflected in the Grateful Dead's music. The band often played classical themes, including variations on Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony", Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2", and "The Blue Danube". Lesh also had an interest in world music, including Celtic, African, Indian, and Asian music.

Guitarist Bob Weir studied Music Theory at Cal and plays several other instruments as well.

Guitarist Bob Weir studied music theory at the University of California, Berkeley. His music theory professor, David W. Wernick, recalled that Weir was one of his best students, and that he "did all his own thinking about music." Wernick also recalled that Weir was a serious student who was very interested in music theory. Wernick said that Weir, who played the banjo, bass, guitar, and various other instruments, was "a very good all-around musician." Weir has played many different instruments over the years, including the banjo, harmonica, organ, piano, and upright bass.

Conclusion

The Grateful Dead were a band of contradictions. On the one hand, they were an unrepentant and unapologetic cult band; on the other, they were pioneers in bringing bluegrass, country, blues, and New Orleans jazz to a massive rock 'n' roll audience