Disaster narrowly averted 40 years ago today
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Lance HTT Newberry
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It was July 10th 1986 when Jerry fell into a coma.
I recall first hearing the news because the bands first shows at the brand new Shoreline Amphitheatre scheduled for a week later were canceled.
My hazy recollection is that they initially said it was an infected tooth. I can't remember when I found out it was far more serious than that. I wasn't the most connected dead head and this was pre internet so maybe it was public knowledge right away and I was just out of the loop, either way, it was obviously a massive turning point.
It had been clear for a few years that Jerry had been in physical decline and by the end of '85 I don't think I was the only one who worried that he was a short-timer, so I wasn't surprised at all when I heard the extent of his illness, and my friends and I thought we might have seen our last GD show when we heard the news.
I didn't get in to his first live performance with the JGB at the Stone in SF, but I still get chills when I think about the roar of pure emotion when he walked onstage and they broke into Touch of Grey to open the Grateful Dead's first show back in December at the Oakland Coliseum.
For me there were multiple turning points in my 17 year history with Jerry and the band, but in many ways, "pre coma" and "post coma" have always been a clear point of reference when talking about Jerry and his playing.
Personal preferences/nitpicking aside, those extra nine years were a remarkable, priceless gift to us all and a testament to that man's remarkable resilience.
Oh, we lucky few.
"I'm not Beethoven"
Atta' boy Jerry.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: It's me Dave open up!
"Those extra nine years...."
"Those extra nine years...."
I met my wife at those December '86 shows at the Coliseum. If Jerry hadn't survived, my life would be unimaginably different. I am forever grateful!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Roarshock
"Oh, we lucky few."
"Oh, we lucky few."
Indeed. Forever grateful. We miss you Jerry!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: JP (J Bomb)
I'm sure someone here still
I'm sure someone here still has a Jerry's Back shirt laying around.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
" I didn't get in to his
" I didn't get in to his first live performance with the JGB at the Stone in SF"
I was there, it was very moving. It meant a lot to be there.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: intentionally blank
I got married in June 86, and
I got married in June 86, and then moved out to the Bay Area shortly thereafter, but not in time to catch the Greek run that year. I don't recall how I heard about Jerry's coma, but I listened to the radio and read newspapers a lot back then, so I'm guessing I heard about it pretty soon. It was a scary time to be a deadhead, but after witnessing Jerry's decline over the preceding few years, there was also a feeling of inevitability about the situation.
We did what we could that summer. I sent Jerry a hologram emblazoned get-well card to the hospital where he was admitted, and thankfully, there was still a lot of great music being played that summer. I remember catching The Dinosaurs at a club in Santa Cruz, and Zero at the Sweetwater, but the highlight for me was the Ranch Rock Festival at Pyramid Lake in Nevada over Labor Day weekend. The Hog Farm was in attendance and launched some amazing balloon sculptures, Mickey and Hunter played, as did Bobby with his arm in a sling (from a mountain biking accident, I think it was), and John Cippolina played with everyone that day. Although Jerry was on the mend by then, I remember thinking that if we lost him (or rather, when we lost him) our scene still had what it took to keep moving forward, and thankfully that has proven to be be true, and in ways I never imagined.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Jumping Jill Flash
how much better was that for
how much better was that for Jerry though?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mr. Sunshine State
No way... Jerry was
No way... Jerry was borderline Superman.
Caught Brent and Billy's band "Go Ahead" that Fall in a small club in Buffalo, which was very cool.
Blah, blah and more blah- then only making it to 53 years old sucked.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
>I was there, it was very
>I was there, it was very moving. It meant a lot to be there.<
Yeah it was my first time in that venue and I remember it being packed, painted black? and these kinda hightop tables? room dividers? along the sides of the smallish room. I recall being squished against the wall and not having the ability or motivation to leave my spot. I also remember waiting a while for the show to start.
I sorta recall scoring tickets at the Stone's box office in advance of the shows, based on the rumor mill. I remember waiting in line outside one afternoon but don't remember going right in, so maybe a couple days before? I sure wish I had kept a journal back then.
(Often goes unremembered that there was another JGB show the next night at the Stone where he played Knockin on Heaven's Door. And two more JGB shows there two weekends later.)