They emerged from mid-1960s San Francisco, CA counterculture, adding a country accent to psychedelic music. Starting out at the Fillmore (see Graham, Bill) they came to be one of the hardest touring bands in rock history—in 1969 the band played 152 shows.

Their shows were long, filled with improvisatory solos, with audiences of “deadheads” given to ingesting hallucinogens and dancing. Deadheads often followed the band around the country recognizable in their tie-dyed attire and band insignia. A skull became “the Dead” logo and the band members—especially singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia, but also Bob Weir, Pig Pen and Mickey Hart—became legendary. The band ended when Garcia passed away in 1995 after a long struggle with drugs. Over 25,000 people paid their respects in San Francisco’s Memorial Park.