Grateful Dead Biography
Mickey Hart, percussion, vocals. Mickey is best known for his thirty years as percussionist with the Grateful Dead. He is a trustee at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, the executive producer of the World series of music for Rykodisc, founder of "Planet Drum," author of Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Planet Drum, and Spirit into Sound, and composer of film scores, including the percussion soundtrack to "Apocalypse Now." His latest album is called "Spirit into Sound." He won the first World Music Grammy ever awarded, for his recording, Planet Drum.
Bruce Hornsby, vocals and keyboards. In 1987 Hornsby and his then-band "the Range" opened for the Dead near Monterey, and his relationship with the Dead progressed from there. Impressed with his music, Garcia sat in on several of Hornsby's albums, and when the Dead sought assistance in the keyboard realm in 1990, Hornsby ended up being a "permanent part-time" member of the band for the next two years. He is of course the notable singer, composer and pianist of such tunes as "The Way It Is," "The End of The Innocence (with Don Henley), and "Harbor Lights." He's been nominated for 10 Grammys and won three.
Bob Weir: rhythm guitar, vocals. Weir was a founding member of the Dead after a background in folk music, and has also had a distinguished parallel career with solo albums like Ace and Heaven Help the Fool, side bands like Bobby and the Midnites, and currently, Ratdog, and a duo project with Rob Wasserman. His songs "Sugar Magnolia" and "Playing in the Band" are among the all-time Dead Head favorites, and of course it is his "That's it for the Other One" that gives this band its name. Alphonso Johnson: bass, vocals.
Alphonso Johnson has been touring since he was 17. He worked with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, Weather Report, Santana, and Jazz is Dead. He scored the film "Sound of Sunshine...Sounds of Rain," which garnered him an Oscar nomination. Having been part of "Bobby and the Midnites," he was the logical choice to fill The Other One's bass chair.
Mark Karan. Guitar, vocals. Karan was born in San Francisco and spent 18 years in Marin County, playing with Dave Mason, Paul Carrack, Huey Lewis, and the legendary Alex Call ("Clover"). Recently he landed in Los Angeles, where he has played with Sophie B. Hawkins and The Rembrandts. He is a member of Ratdog.
Steve Kimock: guitar. Kimock first came into the Dead's orbit in 1980, when he joined with Keith and Donna Godchaux in "The Heart of Gold Band." After Keith's death, he and Greg Anton formed "Zero," still a popular Bay Area ensemble. An inveterate jammer, Steve has participated in a number of projects, including "KVHW." He now concentrates on the "Steve Kimock Band." The essence of the Dead scene was family and a distinguished heritage, which made the choice of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers to join them on Furthur the easiest pick in the world. Ziggy, his brother Stephen, sisters Cedella and Sharon, and their most highly esteemed musical legacy as the children of Bob Marley, will bring something special to the tour. From their first album, Conscious Party, to their most recent, Spirit of Music, they use reggae to find the spirit, in a way that every Dead Head will appreciate.
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Is Ths A Joke? | Reviewer: Mike | 4/28/13
Seriously awful piece of biographical research. Over half the founding members are never mentioned, while the author seems to drift off into a review of another band entirely. As it is sometimes said, 'don't give up your day job'.
Grateful Dead | Reviewer: Tony P | 1/16/13
That is a ridiculous biography. Anyone heard of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Pigpen, Billy Kreutzman??? What about Keith and Donna, Brent Mydland? Of course Bobby was a founding member but what about the rest?
Biography ? | Reviewer: AoxomoxoA | 7/10/12
How can ANY biography about the Grateful Dead not include founding members Pigpen, Jerry, Phil & Bill ? ? With Bob Weir, those five were the true begining of The Grateful Dead. There were certainly other artists who played with The Grateful Dead for varying lengths of time, Keith & Donna Godchaux, Brent Mydland, Bruce Hornsby & Vince Welnick. Not forgetting the MANY special guests who have sat in with The Grateful Dead, such as Janis Joplin, The Allman Bothers & Branford Marsalis, just to name a few. To not include the four founding members is a great diservice.
P.S. Not to take anything away from Alphonso Johnson, Mark Karan, & Steve Kimock listed above, but they were not members of 'The Grateful Dead'. The Grateful Dead formally disbanded in 1995 upon Jerry Garcia's death. Again, not to take anything away from their musical talents, but perhaps they would be better listed as 'Related Acts' ? Just a matter of exactness I suppose.
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