Crossfire: The Death of Jerry Garcia

[@navigator3744]

Jerry Garcia denied being a genius, but I the more I listen to him both play guitar and speak, the more I think he was a genius. He was incredibly articulate and never, when I heard him speak, appeared high. He never advocated that other people do drugs, but he did advocate for freedom for people to make their own choices. In regard to his own drug use, I know that his father died when Jerry was 5 years old; losing a father at such a young age can have such traumatic effects on a person that they may fall back to the use of "drugs" to ameliorate the pain caused by that loss. People who did not lose a parent at such a young age, should not make judgments.

[@caerphillykid]

+The Peace Project Come off it, PP, "never...appeared high"? He was forever smiling, even on a cloudy day.

[@berryseinfeld6772]

He SAW his dad die I believe. He drowned.

[@navigator3744]

@@berryseinfeld6772 Yes, I read about that. In a fast flowing river while they were fishing, I think.

[@KlondikeG]

Jerry got on stage to play music for the people that liked/loved the Grateful Dead. He never said, people, Get High! What I do in my personal lifestyle is my decision solely. People need to stop blaming others for their own behavior. R.I.P, our dear friend, JG.

[@LoloYodel]

Very interesting ! But neither the GD, and even less Jerry Garcia, promoted the use of drugs ! The MUSIC was one thing, private lives was another. Period.

[@tjw3999]

+LoloYodel these idiots have no clue at all wtf they are talking about

[@kevinwingler3370]

right on

[@gd9fingers]

B

[@CMO999]

There's nothing wrong with LSD! There should be a distinction between drugs that are actually destructive to life like cocaine and speed, and drugs that can enhance life like LSD and DMT.

[@mattw.keating7019]

What was worse about the 60s, the popularity of bands that used drugs, or the popularity of politicians that supported the wholesale slaughter of millions of innocent civilians in Indochina?

[@Bobby007D]

No-one , will ever be able to fill Jerry's shoes . They might get to try them on , but they will always be too big.

[@stenyjackson5256]

Legalize and decriminalize all drugs and release non violent offenders of drug crimes

[@williambaugus927]

And they never endorsed drug use. They just never told people what to so or lived in judgement of others

[@gratefulyankee377]

Frickin stuffed shirts! Some people just don't get it. You either love the Dead or you don't.

[@HCShannon]

Jerry was also overweight, a chain smoker and a diabetic. The problem was he didn't really take care of himself. He even went into a diabetic coma and almost died a few years before.

[@robsgirl6465]

Hi everyone. I'm 52 years old. I'm a failed musician. My life is collapsing around me. I'll spare you the gory details. I'm thinking about suicide. Jerry's gone. The world is a darker place without him. Every day for the past 22 years I've been waking up in the morning and searching for a reason to continue. I ran out of reasons today.

[@berryseinfeld6772]

Hope you’re ok.

[@george.s.8491]

Nauseating. Miss you Jerry!! Thanks for the post of this though!!

[@terrapinbobby]

I do not know anyone who ever overdosed on lsd or became addicted to it. It is an experience that I will bever regret and I am a better person for it.

[@muckstar23]

jerry was kind of a big deal...

[@jss2142]

Jerry Garcia was the Stephen Foster of the 20th century. He made Americanized music; perfectly new traditions. Now we can easily adhibit this deeply religious music even within our secular daily lives. Some Christians have denounced his life and his music. But I am against them; Jerry Garcia was the man who averted materialism that hovered the Western post-war regimes, and incorporated spiritual thinking into the physiologically recognized lives. He was very religious in his own radical aesthetics.

[@ericchristian6710]

They didn't endorse drugs. They spoke out against people coming to their shows and partying too hard. They hated to see the fans suffer, they had many fans who came for the music and the band was there for the music.

[@rivierarocket]

Wall Street brokers.."Furthest thing from endorsing drugs"...Bunch of coke heads no?

[@recoveryrocks1]

rivierarocket Indeed!

[@ericchristian6710]

Jerry was a great artist. Lots of drug users have made meaningful contributions to our culture and Jerry Garcia is certainly one. Using lsd isn't a horrible act, it's something that cannot be described, it's a spiritual quest and everyone should try it all least once in my opinion if they want to. The dead were explorers. Heroin is a drug that traps many musicians. When a person gets high on heroin they are much more free and able to express themselves. It boosts creativity and it allows the musician to feel the music and become one with the music. When you hear music that really moves you, say a song that takes you back to a special time and you get chills and feel the music in your soul, that's what heroin does and it really does improve performances. I'm not advocating it, it's a horrible addiction that swallows many of the best musicians but jerry was a good soul at heart and he didn't set or to hurt anybody and only GOD can judge his fruit.

[@gaelic8683]

3 packs of cigarettes per day killed lovable jerry.

[@gratefulyankee377]

And heroine, sadly.

[@kevinwingler3370]

and a diet of hot dogs and milk shakes

[@m1a1garand59]

They NEVER gave credibility to doing drugs. Come on, Casey Jones was a anti drug song. and yea you have Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Michael Jackson, ELVIS PRESLEY, Whitney Houston And many others who died of drug over doses. Jerry was a diabetic and had other troubles. He ate junk food way to much. He was over weight. this is what did him in not so much the drugs. LSD as is will not and never has given anyone an over does, Maybe a bad trip. Heroin? Bad stuff.

[@dannydine5263]

I bet they all went out and downed a bottle or Jack after the Crossfire show.

[@julirichmond3]

Amusing!

[@dubhunter96]

Ive never been more amazed by someones ignorance as I just was by Sununu and Horowitz.

[@jlwaddey9579]

Anthony de Curtis is very cool!

[@joshuajohnston1947]

What is wrong with our culture now days is every one blames someone else for the problems they have.

[@johnchurch1896]

In the TRUE spirit of Jerry Garcia I respect that other people have different opinions than my own and I don't judge them on it, so funny seeing people get angry, watch the 1988 gma interview with Garcia when he says deadheads just pay the bills then let's hear your negative comments. Good luck.

[@tristan8141]

I love who Jerry was, even though he didn't take care of his body. I loved his upbeat positivity, focus, fun-lovingness, down to earth rationality, and more. I don't use any (illegal) drugs anymore but I understand how people that even my age (40) might use some soft drugs. I was lucky, I never got mixed up with hard drugs. Hard drugs and the soft drugs are very different IMO.

[@l8on99]

This is the last message from the far right,"A lot of people died because of this band." What a joke. So many lives were enriched, and in fact the amount of business savvy people that came out of the culture I know are amazing. I went to tonnes of shows and was in a great, close circle, Everyone is truly successful in all aspects of life and blessed. Thanks Jerry, Praises

[@Kati626]

This is really stupid. I'm not sure one of the guests even knows what his argument is. I've only watched half, not watching anymore but it's apparent no one on here has heard Jerry speak about his beliefs on his influences on others. This is just idiotic. I'm surprised Leahy's on here. Well, maybe not.

[@ReedRosson1987]

The vh1 guy in New York is spot on

[@06195061]

every One of those people who say they have never done drugs are lying. they have either smoked cigarettes, drank a beer, etc. besides, the man could play that guitar, and that's what it is all about.

[@tohmetame5777]

Long Live The Grateful Dead!!!!!

[@seanmccloskey5689]

at least he liked the music

[@finarollerz]

Piss's me off they seem to be saying stock brokers couldn't be drug addicts, some of the biggest coke users are people who can afford to snarf a ton of it.

[@oscartapiamunoz7163]

We will just never be able to forget the world they created..."captain trips" was a an epitome of the hippie culture wich no doubt was a close to heaven instant of human history...thay may have been hedonistic & irresponsible we acknowledge that but all in all we can't help feeling down about the "long hair" counterculture being replaced by the the "money culture" of the eighties...the "yuppies". The hippies left a hard to forget heritage in the back of our minds...

[@rodneyhatch56]

What is the prescription coming out of all this? Over the counter Dead forever, please.

[@leeshaw7675]

You tell em Pat!

[@MrMotoflou]

Wow, did people actually enjoy watching this show back in the day? It's a bunch of rich white people who love to talk, and think they have all the answers. Yeeeeuck.

[@paulkneissler273]

Went to Many of Many shows, dead, Jerry band HE NEVER said a thing, played his stuff and maybe a goodnight at the end. Never endored it, Not one Jerry (Hunter) tune even hinted at this, Leahy of VT defends the GD

[@johngray9098]

You have got to be kidding me. Instead of the usual standard fare of "it's a tragedy." etc. these idiots got in to some sort of debate about the death of musician? Seriously,don't they have something else to occupy their time with?

[@TheHowardHolmes]

5:50 'three members of the band are dead from self abuse'

[@ttacking_you]

They had three really anthemic songs. _The spirit of new Orleans, Casey Jones, and Uncle John's band._ what say you?

[@BencyTube]

Peace Love and Grateful Dead

[@TruthSpeaker3]

DeCurtis was super straight

[@gaelic8683]

what about the police who actually killed one deadhead that i know of personally the Inglewood Police Dept who put a choke hold on a guy that was harming no one.

[@GregHartnett]

I listen to the music because I want to do drugs!

[@robertmchugh4639]

It was not "Jerry's band".

[@lastnamefirst4035]

There's the grateful dead and jerrys band

[@elgeneralxx]

10:04 big glasses not shaved smells bad

[@ReedRosson1987]

Leahy is cool

[@berkslaw]

JIMI Hendrix!

[@bighupp3081]

any excuse to get on tv