Had he lived, Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia would have celebrated his 82nd birthday today (August 1). Garcia was the famed jam band’s lead guitarist and main vocalist, and he also co-wrote the majority of the group’s original songs, usually with lyricist Robert Hunter.
The talented and prolific musician also recorded with a number of side projects, including the Jerry Garcia Band, country-rock group New Riders of the Purple Sage, bluegrass band Old & In the Way, and as a duo with mandolin player David Grisman. In addition, Garcia lent his talents to recordings by a variety of well-known artists over the years.
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Jerry was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead in 1994. He died of a heart attack on August 9, 1995, at the age of 53.
In honor of Garcia’s birthday, here’s a look at four guest appearances he made on songs by other famous music acts:
“Today” – Jefferson Airplane (1967)
Jefferson Airplane’s second studio effort, Surrealistic Pillow, which was released in 1967, was the San Francisco band’s most famous and successful album. The Airplane and the Grateful Dead both emerged from the same Bay Area music scene and the members were friends.
While the Airplane was recording Surrealistic Pillow, Garcia attended some of the sessions and shared his advice about the recordings. He also played guitar on a number of tracks. On the back cover of Surrealistic Pillow, Garcia is credited as “musical and spiritual adviser.”
One of the songs on which Garcia is featured is “Today,” a love ballad co-written by founding Airplane members Marty Balin and Paul Kantner, and sung by Balin. Garcia’s simple, chiming guitar riff is heard throughout the song.
Although “Today” wasn’t released as a single, it became a popular tune for Jefferson Airplane, receiving a lot of rock radio airplay.
“Teach Your Children” – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
Possibly Garcia’s most famous guest appearance was on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s classic hit “Teach Your Children,” from the supergroup’s 1970 debut album, Déjà Vu. The song, which was written by Graham Nash, peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Teach Your Children” offers a positive message encouraging both parents and children to learn from each other’s mistakes and experiences.
Garcia contributed a bright and twangy pedal-steel guitar solo to the tune.
In a 2021 interview with Steve Earle on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel, Nash recalled how Garcia ended up playing pedal steel on the track.
Nash explained that CSNY was working on Déjà Vu while the Grateful Dead were recording in the studio next door. Graham noted that the band was almost finished with the “Teach Your Children” track, and the only thing left to do was add a guitar solo. Nash remembered that at that point, however, Stephen Stills felt he and Neil Young had played enough solos on the album.
David Crosby then chimed in and said he’d heard Garcia had been learning to play pedal steel, and he suggested they ask Jerry to do a solo on the track. Crosby proceeded to play a mix of “Teach Your Children” for Garcia and asked him if he’d agree to play on the tune. According to Graham, Jerry loved the song, and was happy to contribute to the tune.
After Garcia brought his pedal steel into the studio where CSNY was recording, Graham recalled, “He played the first track. We got to the end [and] I said, ‘That’s fantastic. That is so fresh, so unthought of, so beautifully spontaneous.’”
Nash told Earle that once he heard the track with Garcia’s pedal steel part on it, he knew the song would be a radio hit.
“Transverse City” – Warren Zevon (1989)
Garcia played guitar on two songs on Warren Zevon’s seventh studio album, Transverse City, including the title track. The record was a sci-fi concept album about technology turning the planet into a dystopian wasteland.
The song “Transverse City” is dominated by icy, repetitive keyboards, punctuated by Garcia’s jazzy, fluid guitar lines.
“Across the River” – Bruce Hornsby & the Range (1990)
In May 1990, Bruce Hornsby released A Night on the Town, the third and final studio album he recorded with his backing band The Range before launching a solo career.
The album included the song “Across the River,” which featured some guitar contributions from Garcia. The melodic, mid-tempo roots-rock tune became Hornsby & the Range’s last hit single, peaking at No. 18 on the Hot 100.
In September of 1990, Hornsby joined the touring lineup of the Grateful Dead as a keyboardist and backing vocalist. His tenure with the band lasted until March 1992.
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