August 10, 1995|By Steve McKerrow | Steve McKerrow,Sun Staff Writer
An article yesterday on the death of Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist for the Grateful Dead, should have said that a fan who was struck by lighting at the band's concert this summer in Washington was critically injured. In addition, a painting by Mr. Garcia was misidentified in the Today section. The painting is of David Grisman, a musician and friend of Mr. Garcia's.
The Sun regrets the error.
Rock-and-roll radio stations took a time trip to the 1960s yesterday in observance of the death of Jerry Garcia, the leader of the fanatically followed band the Grateful Dead.
FOR THE RECORD - CORRECTION
On WIYY-FM (97.9), for example, 98 Rock midday personality Sarah Fleischer played Grateful Dead records and took telephone calls from grieving listeners.
"What is really striking is that we're hearing from a lot of young kids who are just devastated. . . . People are in tears because it's never going to be the same. They were a band like you just don't have today. You felt love and peace and all those hippie things," she said.
She added that at a Grateful Dead concert, such as the band's two appearances in June at RFK Stadium in Washington, "you just felt like your family was there."
"It's been a number of years since we played a Grateful Dead record probably, but we certainly got them on today," said Robert Benjamin, program director at progressive rock station WHFS-FM (99.1) in Landover. "He obviously was somebody whose music made a lot of people happy."
WHFS morning deejay Bob Waugh broke the news to listeners shortly before noon and conversed with afternoon announcer Weasel about how Mr. Garcia's passing reminded them of the death of John Lennon in 1980.
"I had to announce that on the air, too," said Mr. Waugh sadly. In the afternoon, Weasel played a number of Grateful Dead records, as well as newer bands' covers of Dead songs, such as Jane's Addiction's version of "Ripple."
"Garcia, he was absolutely a part of the social changes of the '60s and '70s. . . . He gave somebody a place to go in their desperation and frustration. He did a lot for music and he did a lot for young people," said Jake Einstein, owner of WRNR-FM (103.1), a progressive rock station in Annapolis. Popular midday deejay Damian (Einstein, the owner's son) played a half-hour of Grateful Dead recordings.
"He [Mr. Garcia] brought along a new sound at the time, and he had a very receptive and eager young audience," said the elder Mr. Einstein, 78. In the mid-1960s, Mr. Einstein established the original WHFS-FM in Bethesda, known at the time as Maryland's first "hippie station," which played a lot of Grateful Dead.
"Everybody today who is 35 to 60 has a spot in their heart for a guy like Garcia," the station owner said, adding that he believed the recent political tilt to the right in America brought new attention to the protest flavor of Mr. Garcia and the band.
"I always thought it was because he threw a good party," said Lee Geary, music director and announcer on WGRX-FM (100.7), commenting on Mr. Garcia's longevity. "I mean, it was a social thing, one of those weird coming-of-age things, except that there are people 80 and people 18 coming to these shows."
She said she first head of Mr. Garcia's death from a phone call and thought it was a prank.
"The joke has been going around for years that Jerry was dead, so I said, 'I know, dude,' and then he said it was true, and I started hunting up Grateful Dead records."
WGRX nighttime personality George Gipe planned a lengthy tribute in his 7 p.m.-to-midnight show yesterday.
"It's really the end of an era. . . . I'm glad I went to my first Grateful Dead show a few weeks ago and saw what they were all about," said Dan Taylor, promotions director at WOCT-FM (104.3), The Colt, which plays hits of the 1970s. Colt midday personality Karen Aylor played a half-hour of Dead records yesterday about 1 p.m.
Grateful Dead music was not playing yesterday on Baltimore's "Good-Time Oldies" station, WQSR-FM (105.7). The band was never mainstream enough to be included in the pop nostalgia format, said program director Bill Pasha.
"I think he would appreciate the tributes being left to the stations that usually played the band," he said of the musician, adding that Mr. Garcia "certainly was a great influence on not only rock and roll but also people's lifestyles."
