Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. Ranging from quintet to septet, the band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of country, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, rock, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, space rock, for live performances of lengthy instrumental jams, and for their devoted fan base, known as "Deadheads". "Their music," writes Lenny Kaye, "touches on ground that most other groups don't even know exists." These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead "the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world". The band was ranked 57th in the issue The Greatest Artists of all Time by Rolling Stone magazine. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and their Barton Hall Concert at Cornell University (May 8, 1977) was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. The Grateful Dead have sold more than 35 million albums worldwide.

Franklin's Tower

Franklin's Tower may refer to:

The Song, Franklin's Tower, speaks to "the Liberty Bell", the lyric, "if you get confused, listen to the music play", is attributed to Benjamin Franklin and whether he ever spoke those words, in relation to the casting of the Liberty Bell, or not, the words describe the casting process. As water was used to cure the metal, in order for the bell to ring, "true", the escaping steam, described the "Music". To stay in front of a possible scald, it seems likely, the term was created to alert the smith to the direction he should take, as he worked.

Slightly Stoopid

Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk." As a band, they have released ten albums (three live), with their seventh studio album entitled Top of the World on August 14, 2012. The band was originally signed by Bradley Nowell from the band Sublime to his label Skunk Records while still in high school.

History

Founding, early releases

In 1994 Slightly Stoopid was formed in Ocean Beach, California by Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald, both childhood friends, as well as high school friend and drummer Adam Bausch. Soon after, Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell discovered the band, asking them to perform in Long Beach, California at the Foot Hill Tavern. Nowell shortly after signed them to his label Skunk Records while the members were still attending high school. In 1996 the band released their first studio album, the punk-tinged Slightly $toopid (featuring a guest appearance by Nowell on the song “Prophet” – later covered by Sublime and released on their box set, Everything Under the Sun) and 1998's surf-inspired The Longest Barrel Ride.

Bob Weir

Robert Hall "Bob" Weir (WEER; born October 16, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead. Weir also founded and played in several other bands during and after his career with the Grateful Dead, including Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Children, RatDog, Furthur, co-led by former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, and Dead & Company, formed with former Grateful Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.

During his career with the Grateful Dead, Weir played mostly rhythm guitar and sang many of the band's rock-n-roll tunes. As a guitarist, he is known for his unique style of complex voiceleading, bringing unusual depth and a new approach to the role of rhythm guitar expression.

Early life

Weir was born in San Francisco, California to John (Jack) Parber and a fellow college student who later gave him up, and was raised by his adoptive parents, Frederic Utter and Eleanor Cramer Weir, in the suburb of Atherton. He began playing guitar at age thirteen after less successful experimentation with the piano and the trumpet. He had trouble in school because of undiagnosed dyslexia and he was expelled from nearly every school he attended, including The Menlo School in Atherton, California and Fountain Valley School in Colorado. At Fountain Valley he met John Perry Barlow, who later wrote the lyrics to a number of Grateful Dead songs.

Jerry Garcia

Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead, which came to prominence during the counterculture era in the 1960s. Though he disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group.

One of its founders, Garcia performed with the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career (1965–1995). Garcia also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Saunders–Garcia Band (with longtime friend Merl Saunders), the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, Legion of Mary, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage (which Garcia co-founded with John Dawson and David Nelson). He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. He was well known by many for his distinctive guitar playing and was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story.