Jerry Garcia Birthday & Fun Facts

Jerry Garcia Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Jerome Garcia

Place Of Birth

San Francisco, USA

Age

81 years old

Birth Date

August 1 1942

Jerry Garcia Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Songwriter, Singer, Guitarist

Education & Qualifications

Analy High School

Net Worth

$15,000,000

Current Partner

Deborah Koons

Children

Theresa, Keelin, Heather, Annabelle

Parents

Jose Garcia, Ruth Garcia

Siblings

Clifford Garcia

Jerry Garcia worked with four record labels before establishing the 'Grateful Dead' record label.

Jerry Garcia was renowned for his technical and musical ability. He sustained extended improvisations and played various instruments with the 'Grateful Dead.'

Jerry Garcia was a songwriter, singer, and guitarist from San Francisco, California. He was famous for being the lead guitarist, principal songwriter, and vocalist of the rock band 'Grateful Dead.' Garcia was also the co-founder of this group. He was active in the music industry between 1960 and 1995.

As a member of the 'Grateful Dead,' Garcia became an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He was part of the band for three decades until he died. Jerry Garcia was married four times and had four children. He was a part of many side projects with bands like 'New Riders Of The Purple Sage,' 'Black Mountain Boys,' 'Reconstruction,' 'Legion Of Mary,' 'Old & In The Way,' and the 'Jerry Garcia Band.'

The singer also worked as a session musician for other artists and released many solo albums. We will also discuss his career, educational background, interests, awards, hobbies, and life below.

What was Jerry Garcia’s net worth?

The estimated net worth of Jerry Garcia was $15 million by the time of his death. He gained this wealth through property, royalties, guitar collection, art collection, and non-liquid assets.

How much did Jerry Garcia earn per year?

The amount of annual income earned by Jerry Garcia is not known. His primary source of earnings was through being one of the principal vocalists in the 'Grateful Dead,' solo albums, licensing deals, merchandise, and royalties.

How tall was Jerry Garcia?

Jerry Garcia was 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) in height.

How old was Jerry Garcia?

Jerry Garcia was 53 years old when he died in 1995.

Jerry Garcia was born on August 1, 1942, in San Francisco, California, to Ruth Marie "Bobbie" Garcia and Jose Ramon "Joe" Garcia, with dark brown eyes and hair under the zodiac sign of Leo.

Jerry Garcia's real name was Jerome John Garcia, named after Jerome Kern, an American composer. Garcia had an older brother, Clifford Ramon 'Tiff'. He grew up playing the piano. His parents were skilled musicians. Garcia's father and his partner ran a bar. His father later died in a drowning accident. Garcia's mother took over the bar and also bought full ownership.

Jerry Garcia went on to live with his grandparents and studied at Monroe Elementary School. His artistic talent was encouraged at this school. Garcia was inspired by artists like Chuck Berry, Hank Ballard, B. B. King, John Lee Hooker, and Ray Charles.

He attended many schools, including Denman Junior High School, Balboa High School, and Menlo Oaks School. At the Analy High School, Garcia joined a school band called Chords.

Who was Jerry Garcia’s partner?

Sara Ruppenthal and Jerry Garcia met in 1963 and married in the same year. The couple's daughter, Heather, was born on December 8, 1963. The couple divorced in 1967. Garcia and Carolyn Adams, or Mountain Girl, moved in together. In the '70s, Adams gave birth to Annabelle Walker Garcia and Theresa Adams Garcia.

The couple got married in 1981 due to mutual tax exigencies. They divorced in 1994. Garcia was in a relationship with Manasha Matheson, who gave birth to his fourth child, Keelin Neol Garcia. Jerry Garcia married Deborah Koons in 1994 until his death the following year.

Best Known For…

Jerry Garcia is best known as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He worked with labels like Rhino, Arista, Warner Bros, Acoustic Disc, and 'Grateful Dead.' Garcia played banjo, pedal steel guitar, and acoustic guitar. In addition to working with the 'Grateful Dead,' he worked on many acoustic projects with bluegrass bands like 'Old & In The Way.'

In the '80s, Garcia took on his second career as a visual artist. He produced several watercolors, etchings, and drawings. His work was represented by Berkeley's Weir Gallery between 1989 and 1996. In 1990, Roberta Weir sponsored Garcia's first solo show.

Jerry Garcia joined the United States Army in 1960. However, he was discharged in the same year.

Garcia and his friends met with an accident in 1961 in California, which he stated to be an awakening. In the same year, he met Robert Hunter, playing together in music and art scenes around San Francisco and South Bay. Garcia also played at his first concert with Hunter and in bands. After meeting Phil Lesh around 1962, Garcia and Lesh recorded many tunes, including 'The Long Black Veil' and 'Matty Grooves' for the KPFA radio station.

Garcia started teaching and playing banjo and acoustic guitar. He mainly performed folk, old-time, and bluegrass music between 1962 and 1964. He performed with 'Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers' as a vocalist, guitarist, harmonica, and banjo player. Garcia and many of his friends, including Ronald McKernan and Bob Weir, created a jug band named 'Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions.' Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh joined the band, which evolved into the 'Warlocks' in 1965. They later found that there was another band with the same name. So, Jerry Garcia came up with the term 'Grateful Dead.'

After the 'Grateful Dead' became an official band, Garcia became its songwriter, vocalist, and lead guitarist for the rest of his life. Some songs he composed for the band were 'Scarlet Begonias,' 'Franklin's Tower,' and 'Dark Star.' The band and Garcia were known for never playing a song similarly. The band constantly toured after its formation. 'The Grateful Dead' played in about 2,316 shows in three decades. Garcia played the electric guitar combining music elements like bluegrass, early rock, blues, western, country, and jazz.

His style was also dependent on the instrument and song he played. Garcia also spent time helping and working with fellow musicians, often producing, playing piano, banjo, guitar, and providing vocals. He worked on more than 50 studio albums. Garcia played at a major benefit show called the 'Soviet American Peace Walk' concert in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in 1988, drawing 25,000 people.

Charity Work

Manasha Garcia, Jerry Garcia's wife, and Keelin Garcia, their daughter, established a non-profit charity, The Jerry Garcia Foundation, which supports projects for humanitarian, environmental, and artistic causes in 2015.

What awards did Jerry Garcia win?

Jerry Garcia's band, the 'Grateful Dead,' was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2008, Jerry Garcia was posthumously awarded the AMA presidents award. Robert Hunter and Jerry Gracia were inductees of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2015. Trixie Garcia, Jerry Garcia's daughter, and Hunter accepted the award.

Jerry Garcia’s Hobbies And Interests

Jerry Garcia enjoyed painting and drawing.

• Past members of the 'Grateful Dead' and Garcia were Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Robert Hunter, Vince Welnick, Brent Mydland, and Tom Constanten.
• 'Grateful Dawg' is a documentary film portraying the long-term friendship of David Grisman and Jerry Garcia.
• Rolling Stone magazine ranked Garcia 13th on the '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time' in 2003.
• Manasha Garcia and Keelin Garcia established an independent music label, Jerry Garcia Music Arts, in 2018.
• Garcia lost his finger in a wood-cutting accident in his childhood.

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