Editing Deadhead

{{Short description|Dedicated fan of the Grateful Dead and/or spinoff bands from the Grateful Dead}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Deadhead bus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|A Deadhead school bus conversion]]
A '''Deadhead''' or '''Dead head''' is a fan of the American [[rock music|rock]] band the [[Grateful Dead]].<ref name=":2">{{cite news| work= [[The New York Times]] |date= 9 June 2006| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/business/09hedge.html |title= I Saw a Deadhead Sticker on a Bentley| accessdate= July 1, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| publisher= Globe Newspaper Company | date= 7 June 2006| work= [[Boston Globe]]| url= http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2006/06/07/life_of_the_party/ |title= Life of the party| via= boston.com| access-date= July 1, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| work= [[Missoula Independent]] | date= 2006| place= Missoula, Montana| volume= 17 |number= 26 |url= http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=5776 |title= Puppet master| via= missoulanews.com| access-date= July 1, 2006}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| work= [[Santa Monica Mirror]] |date= 2005| place= Santa Monica, California| url= http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=3344 |title= Local Artists Complete SMC's Art Mentor Program| via= smmirror.com | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090215044024/http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=3344 |archivedate= 2009-02-15| volume= 8| number= 3| access-date= July 1, 2006}}</ref><ref>AScribe Newswire (2006). Article from non-profit news distribution organization: ''[http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=5776 Central Valley scientist looks at music's ‘heady’ experience]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}'', using the term Deadhead, Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref> The Deadhead subculture originated in the 1970s, when a number of fans began traveling to see the Grateful Dead in as many shows or festival venues as they could. As more people began attending live performances and festivals, a community developed. The Deadhead community has since gone on to create slang and idioms unique to them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deadheads – Subcultures and Sociology |url=https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/ |access-date=2023-07-17 |language=en}}</ref>

Unlike other popular acts in music, the Grateful Dead are well known for the use of improvisation in their performances making each show unique.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Malvinni |first=David |title=Grateful Dead and the Art of Rock Improvisation |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-0810882553}}</ref> This, coupled with the band's permissive attitude on taping performances, has created a plethora of historical material.<ref name=":0" /> Such recordings of previous performances are shared widely among the Deadhead community.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jamie |date=2005-12-02 |title=Grateful fans bring live recordings back from the dead |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/dec/02/usa.arts |access-date=2023-07-17 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Much Deadhead-related historical material received or collected by the band over the years is housed in the [[Grateful Dead Archive]] of [[University of California, Santa Cruz]]. Archive founding curator Nicholas Meriwether, who has also written extensively about the culture and its impact on society, predicted, "The Grateful Dead archive is going to end up being a critical way for us to approach and understand the 1960s and the [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]] of the era... It's also going to tell us a lot about the growth and development of modern rock theater, and it's helping us understand fan culture."<ref name="One of the World's Biggest Deadhead Visits Austin">{{cite web |url= http://austin.culturemap.com/news/arts/10-28-11-08-29-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-deadheads-comes-to-austin-to-talk-about-preserving-the-bands-legacy/ |title= Understanding Counterculture...| website= austin.culturemap.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref> Over the course of their thirty-year career, the Grateful Dead performed over 2,200 live shows.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=McNally |first=Dennis |title=A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead |publisher=Crown |year=2003 |isbn=978-0767911863}}</ref>

==Overview==
The eclectic musical styling of the Grateful Dead was heavily inspired by the [[Beatnik]] movement of the 1950s and later the [[Psychedelia|psychedelic]] counterculture of the 1960s. One group at the forefront of the psychedelic sound was the [[Merry Pranksters]]. On the first historic bus trip, on the bus Furthur, a pattern was set for the Deadhead touring lifestyle to come. By the late 1970s, some Deadheads began to sell [[Tie-dye#Tie-dye in the Western world|tie-dye]] T-shirts, veggie burritos, or other items at Grateful Dead concerts. In the 1980s, the area where Grateful Dead merchandise was sold became popularly referred to as "[[Shakedown Street (vending area)|Shakedown Street]]", named after the 1978 song. Income from these shops allowed Deadheads a way to follow the band on its tours. During the early 1980s, the number of Deadheads taping shows increased, and the band created a special section for fans who wished to record the show. These tapes are still shared and circulated today via websites such as the [[Live Music Archive]] and [[Etree|bt.etree.org]]. In the earlier days of the Grateful Dead, there were questions as to whether or not it was in the best interest of the band for fans to tape concerts. In 1982, Garcia himself was asked what he thought about it, and he replied, "When we are done with it [the concerts], they can have it."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/flashback-jerry-garcia-and-bob-weir-visit-letterman-in-1982-20150312|title=Flashback: Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir do 'Letterman' in 1982|first=Andy|last=Greene|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=12 March 2015|access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref> The practice of [[Taper (concert)|taping]] has evolved and expanded in the digital age. The rise of the Internet and [[Peer-to-peer file sharing|peer to peer file sharing]] networks has made it extremely easy for Deadheads to share concerts through unofficial and official channels.<ref>{{Cite magazine |author=Billboard Staff |date=2005-12-01 |title=Grateful Dead Allows Free Web Downloads |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/grateful-dead-allows-free-web-downloads-60485/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Bob Dylan]], who toured with the Grateful Dead during their 1987 summer tour, observed "With most bands the audience participates like in a spectator sport. They just stand there and watch. They keep a distance. With the Dead, the audience is part of the band-they might as well be on stage."<ref name="Dylan">{{cite book |last1=Dylan |first1=Bob |author-link= Bob Dylan|title=[[The Philosophy of Modern Song]] |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|date=2022 |location=[[New York City|New York]] |isbn=978-1-4516-4870-6 |page=137}}</ref>

==Origins==
The term "Deadhead" first appeared in print at the suggestion of Hank Harrison, author of ''The Dead Trilogy'', on the sleeve of ''[[Grateful Dead (album)|Grateful Dead]]'' (also known as ''Skull & Roses''), the band's second [[live album]], released in 1971.<ref name="multiple">''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 138.</ref> It read:
{{Blockquote|DEAD FREAKS UNITE: Who are you? Where are you? How are you?

Send us your name and address and we'll keep you informed.

Dead Heads, P.O. Box 1065, San Rafael, California 94901.}}

This phenomenon was first touched on in print by ''[[The Village Voice|Village Voice]]'' [[music critic]] [[Robert Christgau]] at a [[Theater at Madison Square Garden|Felt Forum]] show in 1971, noting "how many 'regulars' seemed to be in attendance, and how, from the way they compared notes, they'd obviously made a determined effort to see as many shows as possible."<ref name="multiple" />

Eileen Law, a long time friend of the band, was put in charge of the mailing list and maintained the ''Dead Heads'' newsletter. It is estimated that by the end of 1971, the band had received about 350 letters, but this number swelled greatly over the next few years to as many as 40,000.<ref name="multiple" /> In total, 25 mailings/newsletters reached Deadheads between October 1971 and February 1980. After this time, the Grateful Dead Almanac would succeed it, with this eventually being abandoned for Dead.net.<ref name="multiple" /> Those who did receive the newsletter in the 1970s often found pleasant surprises sent along. One example is from May 1974 when Heads received a sample EP of [[Robert Hunter (lyricist)|Robert Hunter]]'s upcoming album ''Tales of the Great Rum Runners'' as well as selections from [[Jerry Garcia]]'s second album, ''Compliments of Garcia'', and some cuts that were from bandmembers Keith and Donna Godchaux's eponymous solo album, ''Keith & Donna'', both on [[Round Records]]. This sample was titled ''Anton Round'', which was an alias used by Ron Rakow.<ref name=autogenerated2>''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 168.</ref>

==Impact on shows==
[[Image:Red Rocks Amphitheater with deadheads waiting to start taken 8-11-1987.jpg| thumb |240px|Fans attending a [[Grateful Dead]] concert at [[Red Rocks Amphitheatre|Red Rocks]], Colorado, 1987]]
The Grateful Dead's appeal to fans was supported by the way the band structured their concerts and the use of the jam band format.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McNally |first=Dennis |title=A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead |year=2003 |publisher=Crown |isbn=0767911865}}</ref>
* From the early 1970s on, the Grateful Dead performed few shows with a predetermined setlist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlansky |first=Evan |date=2009-05-29 |title=The Grateful Dead's Set List Secrets Revealed |url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-grateful-deads-set-list-secrets-revealed/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}}</ref>
* At the behest of the band, a section of the audience was walled off to be used exclusively by fans recording the concert.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coscarelli |first=Joe |date=2015-07-05 |title='Tapers' at the Grateful Dead Concerts Spread the Audio Sacrament |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/arts/music/tapers-at-the-grateful-dead-concerts-spread-the-audio-sacrament.html |access-date=2023-07-18 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 
* From the 1980s on, the second set usually contained a prolonged percussion interlude, called "Drums" (and eventually incorporating electronic elements), by [[Mickey Hart]] and [[Bill Kreutzmann]] (also known as the "Rhythm Devils") followed by an extended [[improvisation]]al jam, known as "Space", played by the rest of the band (as featured on the album ''[[Infrared Roses]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |last=Howell |first=Dave |date=2011-12-30 |title=Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart a complex groove-master |url=https://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-xpm-2011-12-30-mc-mickey-hart-20111230-story.html/ |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=The Morning Call |language=en-US| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130051818/https://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-xpm-2011-12-30-mc-mickey-hart-20111230-story.html/ |archivedate=2020-11-30}}</ref>

The band's extensive song catalog enabled them to create a varied "rotation" of setlists, which were never exactly the same for each performance ("show") throughout a tour.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fricke |first=David |date=2020-08-08 |title=20 Essential Grateful Dead Shows |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/grateful-dead-shows-david-fricke-247878/ |access-date=2023-08-22 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> The use of these unique set rotations created two phenomena: The first had to do with Deadheads wanting to go to more shows in order to get a chance to hear their favorite song(s) – the same song was rarely played the same way twice during any given tour.<ref name=":2" /> Also, a great show often inspired many fans to begin following the band for the rest of the tour, as well subsequent tours. The second was that having a large number of traveling fans had empowered the band to perform multiple shows at each venue, since they were assured that their performances would mostly sell out (almost all shows sold out from the mid-1980s and on). At this point, it became apparent that Deadheads were a major driving force that encouraged the band to keep going. Along with the large number of people attending several shows, a traveling community developed amongst fans in response to the familiarity of seeing the same people from previous strings of shows. As generations turned from the [[Acid Tests]] to the 1970s (and onward), tours became a time to revel with friends at concerts, old and new, who never knew the psychedelic age that spawned the band they loved.<ref name="Grateful Dead 2003, pg. 174">''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 174.</ref> As with any large community, Deadheads developed their own idioms and slang.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2015-06-26 |title=How Grateful Dead Fans Became Deadheads |url=https://time.com/3919040/history-deadheads/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref>

=="The Vibe"==
Some Deadheads use the term "X Factor" to describe the intangible element that elevates mere performance into something higher.<ref>''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 113.</ref> Publicist and [[Jerry Garcia]] [[biographer]] Blair Jackson stated that "shows were the sacrament ... rich and full of blissful, transcendent musical moments that moved the body and enriched the soul."<ref>''Garcia: An American Life'' by Blair Jackson, Penguin Books, 1999, pg. 219.</ref> [[Phil Lesh]] himself comments on this phenomenon in his autobiography by saying, "The unique organicity of our music reflects the fact that each of us consciously personalized his playing: to fit with what others were playing and to fit with who each man was as an individual, allowing us to meld our consciousnesses together in the unity of a group mind."<ref name="lesh">''Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead'' by Phil Lesh, Little, Brown, April 2005</ref>

Jackson takes this further, citing [[drum]]mer [[Mickey Hart]] as saying, "The Grateful Dead weren't in the music business, they were in the ''transportation'' business." Jackson relates this to the Deadhead phenomenon directly by saying, "for many Deadheads, the band was a medium that facilitated experiencing other planes of consciousness and tapping into deep, spiritual wells that were usually the province of organized religion ... [they] got people high whether those people were on drugs or not."<ref>''Garcia: An American Life'' by Blair Jackson, Penguin Books, 1999, pg. 319.</ref>

Rock producer [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]] summarized much of the band's effect when he created a sign for the Grateful Dead when the group played the closing of the [[Winterland Ballroom]] on December 31, 1978. The sign read:<ref name=JakeWoodward>''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 227.</ref>
{{Blockquote|They're not the best at what they do,

They're the only ones that do what they do. 
Cheers!|Bill & the Winterland Gang<ref name=JakeWoodward/>}}

==Through the years==
* 1960s – Before the term was invented, [[The Grateful Dead]] became one of the first cult acts in music. Although not as mainstream as other psychedelic bands, they were the leaders of the [[Haight-Ashbury]] music scene and had an intense following that started in San Francisco and eventually spread. Fans gathered at their jam concerts throughout the sixties.
* 1970s – essentially known as the "second generation of Deadheads", the new Deadheads of this time can either be traced to "an older sibling who had turned them on by spinning ''[[Workingman's Dead]]'' or ''[[Europe '72]]''" or through college and university dorm rooms.<ref name="Grateful Dead 2003, pg. 174"/>
* 1980s – The early 1980s brought about what would later become known as "[[Shakedown Street (vending area)|Shakedown Street]]" (in reference to the Grateful Dead album of the [[Shakedown Street|same name]]). Starting during the [[New Year's Eve]] shows at the [[Kaiser Convention Center|Oakland Auditorium]] in California from 1979 to 1982, Deadheads began to realize they could sell their wares (anything from tie-dye T-shirts to veggie burritos) in order to follow the band around more. Also during the early 1980s, Deadhead tapers grew exponentially, resulting in the band designating a taping section in October 1984.<ref>''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 263.</ref> With the success of their album ''[[In the Dark (Grateful Dead album)|In the Dark]]'' (and the single "[[Touch of Grey]]"), 1988 started the "Mega-Dead" period.<ref name=multiple2>''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 315.</ref>
** In the Darkers – also known as "Touchheads" (a reference of the album for the former and the single for the latter), these fans "dissed the fragile ecosystem" of a Grateful Dead show, in the words of Jackson. This led to "wiser" Deadheads, with the backing of the band, to mail [[SOS]]s and hand out show flyers telling people to "cool out".<ref name=multiple2/>
** Minglewood Town Council – this group was a direct result of the Touchheads and were a "tribal council" consisting of Deadheads and the [[Hog Farm]]ers Calico and Goose. They handed out garbage bags at shows for people to pick up trash afterwards and tried to keep the masses mellow.<ref name=multiple2/> The iconic lot leader, "Trash Captain" aka Douglas Seaton, was a well known member of this group.
* 1990s – The Deadheads of this time "tended to be young, white, male, and from middle-class backgrounds – in short, they were drawn from much the same demographic base as most rock fans." The band also tended to attract a large percentage of fans from high-income families. The main draw for these Deadheads to travel to shows seemed to be the sense of community and adventure. During the mid-1990s there were a series of small "Deadhead Riots" peaking with a large scale riot at the [[Deer Creek Music Center]] near Indianapolis in July 1995. The riot was triggered by several [[gate crashing]] incidents, and resulted in the fence at the venue being torn down by rioting Deadheads and the subsequent cancellation of the next day's show. The riot received national attention and is immortalized by [[Keller Williams]] in his song "Gatecrashers Suck", in which he calls the rioters "cock-sucking motherfuckers".<ref name=multiple3>''Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip'' edited by Jake Woodward, ''et al.'' Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2003, pg. 415.</ref> Concert promoter [[Peter Shapiro (concert promoter)|Peter Shapiro]] filmed the iconic and influential [https://time.com/3919040/history-deadheads/] Deadhead documentary, "Tie-Died, Rock and Roll's Most Deadicated Fans" about life on Grateful Dead Tour 1994. The film was released through Sony Tri Star in September 1995 in major motion picture theaters across America, shortly after Jerry Garcia's death. At the premiere party of the film's release, Deadheads at the after-party at the [[Fillmore West]] met with Jerry Garcia's close friend and musician, [[David Nelson (musician)|David Nelson]], to formulate a strategy for continuing Deadhead culture. Thus, the David Nelson Band was formed. Other Dead related jam bands also did their part to continue the culture.
* 21st century – Many Deadheads of all ages, including fans who were generally too young to have seen the Grateful Dead, continue to passionately follow the many current Grateful Dead cover bands and spin-off bands such as [[Dead & Company]], The David Nelson Band, the [[Donna Jean Godchaux Band]], [[RatDog]], [[Phil Lesh and Friends]], [[7 Walkers]], [[The Rhythm Devils]], [[The Dead (band)|The Dead]], [[Furthur (band)|Furthur]], [[Dark Star Orchestra]], and [[Joe Russo's Almost Dead]].
* The Spinners – also known as "The Family" or Church of Unlimited Devotion. These people "used the band's music in worship services and were a constant presence at shows". They were called "spinners" because of their twirling dance style. [[John Perry Barlow]] stated at the 'So Many Roads Conference' that the Dead family hadn't realized at the time that the Spinners were a cult. Observers have reported seeing them spinning only to Jerry songs and sitting down at the songs Bobby performed. Allegations of abuse have circulated widely in Deadhead groups.<ref name=multiple3/>
* [[Wharf Rats]] – Deadheads who helped each other remain drug and alcohol free while staying in the Dead scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wharfrat.org/index.html |title=The Wharf Rats |publisher=Wharfrat.org |access-date=22 September 2010}}</ref> The Wharf Rats were named from the song of same title. They were allowed to set up a table at every concert to support Deadheads who believed in enjoying the Grateful Dead sober or needed more efforts to remain straight.

==Recordings of shows==
[[Image:Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, Obama Inaugural.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Bob Weir]] and [[Mickey Hart]] of the Grateful Dead performing on January 20, 2009, at the Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball during [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|President Barack Obama's Inaugural]]]]At almost every Grateful Dead show, it was common to see fans openly recording the music for later enjoyment.<ref name=":1" /> The tradition can be traced to 1966 with the number of tapers increasing yearly.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fricke |first=David |date=2020-08-08 |title=20 Essential Grateful Dead Shows |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/grateful-dead-shows-david-fricke-247878/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>  In 1971, Les Kippel, from Brooklyn, New York, started the First Free Underground Grateful Dead Tape Exchange with the purpose of preserving the heritage of the Grateful Dead's concert history by exchanging copies of recorded tapes made from audience members.  This started a new era in recording, collecting, and trading Grateful Dead tapes.

The "Tape Exchange" evolved into ''[[Relix#Origins|Dead Relix]]'' magazine, co-founded by Kippel and its first editor, Jerry Moore (1953–2009), a native of The Bronx, New York.<ref name="jm-2014">{{cite news | url=https://relix.com/articles/detail/early_tapers_the_united_dead_freaks_of_america_and_the_dawn_of_relix/ | title=Early Tapers, the United Dead Freaks of America, and the Dawn of _Relix_ | author-first=Jesse | author-last=Jarnow | magazine=Relix | date= April 15, 2014 }}</ref>  First fliers were handed out at concerts in 1973, followed by a first issue in 1974. In 1974, ''Dead Relix'' evolved into ''[[Relix]]'' magazine and kept the Grateful Dead in the news while they took a year off in 1975.  In 1980, Toni Brown became owner and publisher of ''Relix''.  In 2000, it was sold to Steve Bernstein. In 2009, Peter Shapiro bought ''Relix'' and still maintains ownership.

There were other Deadhead magazines that came about in the 1970s, notably, ''Dead in Words'' and ''In Concert''.  The 1980s saw the production of ''Terrapin Flyer'', ''Dupree's Diamond News'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dead.net/features/who-or-what-duprees-diamond-news |title=Dupree's Diamond News |date=10 July 1977 |publisher=Dead.net |access-date=2014-06-19}}</ref> ''Golden Road'', and ''Acid''.  ''Dupree's Diamond News'' was distributed as an in-concert newsletter at several hundred Grateful Dead concerts, where it averaged 10,000 copies per run.  ''Dupree's Diamond News'' was also distributed on a quarterly basis as a full-color, 72-page magazine to approximately 35,000 international subscriptions.

In 1998, Grateful Dead scholar [[Johnny Dwork]], the founder of ''Terrapin Flyer'' and ''Dupree's Diamond News'', published the award-winning, three-volume ''The Deadhead's Taping Compendium: A Guide to the Music of the Grateful Dead on Tape''.

Fans were also known to record the many [[FM radio]] [[Broadcasting|broadcast]] shows. Garcia looked kindly on tapers (he himself had been on several cross-country treks to record [[bluegrass music]] prior to the Grateful Dead), stating: "There's something to be said for being able to record an experience you've liked, or being  to obtain a recording of it ... my responsibility to the notes is over after I've played them." In this respect, the Dead are considered by many to be the first "taper-friendly" band.<ref name="multiple5">''Garcia: An American Life'' by Blair Jackson, Penguin Books, 1999, pg. 277.</ref>

It is a matter of strict custom among Deadheads that these recordings are freely shared and circulated, with no money ever changing hands. Some [[bootleg recording]]s from unscrupulous bootleggers have turned up on the [[black market]], but a general "code of honor specifically prohibited the buying and selling of Dead tapes". These recordings, sometimes called "liberated bootlegs", are still frowned upon by the community and that feeling "has spread into non–Grateful Dead taping circles".<ref name="multiple5" />

Many Deadheads now freely distribute digital recordings of the band's live shows through the [[Internet Archive]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead |title=Grateful Dead Archive |access-date=2021-12-17}}</ref>

==Archives==
Much Deadhead-related historical material received or collected by the band over the years is housed in the [[Grateful Dead Archive]] of [[UC-Santa Cruz]]. Archive curator Nicholas Meriwether, who has also written extensively about the culture and its impact on society, states "The Grateful Dead archive is going to end up being a critical way for us to approach and understand the 1960s and the [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]] of the era... It's also going to tell us a lot about the growth and development of modern rock theater, and it's helping us understand fan culture."<ref name="One of the World's Biggest Deadhead Visits Austin"/>

In addition to the band's collection, many longtime fans have also accrued a large collection of Grateful Dead memorabilia and recorded live performances.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jamie |date=2005-12-02 |title=Grateful fans bring live recordings back from the dead |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/dec/02/usa.arts |access-date=2023-07-21 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Famous Deadheads==
<!-- PLEASE do not add people to this section without a reliable source (see WP:RS for further information. Any additions lacking a citation is subject to removal. If there is a person or persons you believe should be removed, please discuss it on the talk page with a reliable source about how they aren't a Deadhead. Thanks! -->

The following celebrities have claimed to be Deadheads or have had media reported on them saying they are Deadheads:
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Trey Anastasio]] – rock musician, member of jam band [[Phish]]; saw his first Grateful Dead concert in 1980, and the band is a significant influence on him and his group Phish.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Days Between: Trey Anastasio Reflects on His Time in Dead Camp |url= https://relix.com/articles/detail/the_days_between_trey_anastasio_reflects_on_his_time_in_dead_camp/ |website= relix.com | publisher= Relix Media |access-date=12 September 2018 |date=23 November 2016}}</ref>
* [[Will Arnett]], actor<ref name="A&E"/>
* [[Steve Bannon]], investor and political influencer<ref>{{cite web | last= Cook-Wilson| first= Winston | date= March 15, 2017 | title=Steve Bannon Was Apparently a Huge Deadhead | website=Spin.com | url= https://www.spin.com/2017/03/steve-bannon-grateful-dead/ | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>
* [[John Belushi]], actor; like many of the original ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' cast, Belushi went from fan to friend of the band. Belushi's blues band, [[The Blues Brothers]], even opened for the Dead, and Belushi joined the group in singing "U.S. Blues". 
* [[Tony Blair]], politician – played in "Mars Hotel"-inspired student band<ref name="trip375" /><ref>turn Mars Hotel upside down & look at it in a mirror to see name of Blair's band"</ref>
* [[Jimmy Buffett]], rock musician – recorded a version of "Scarlet Begonias" on the 2004 album "License to Chill"
* [[Joseph Campbell]] – proclaimed Deadheads as "the world's newest tribe"<ref name="trip375">{{cite book| title= Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip| editor-first= Jake| editor-last= Woodward| publisher= Dorling Kindersley Limited| year= 2003| pages= 330, 375| isbn= }}</ref>
* [[Tucker Carlson]], television personality<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.maxraskin.com/interviews/interview-with-tucker-carlson|title= Interview with Tucker Carlson| website= Interviews with Max Raskin | access-date=2023-07-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8063563|title= SUVs, Canadians and the Grateful Dead| website= NBCnews.com |date= June 2005| publisher= NBC| access-date=2007-06-15}}</ref>
* [[Pete Carroll]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA010106.1C.FBCrosebowl.carroll.31f5fea.html |title=Rose Bowl: Carroll the life of Southern Cal's party |date=December 31, 2006 |publisher= | website= MySA.com |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083124/http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA010106.1C.FBCrosebowl.carroll.31f5fea.html |archive-date=2007-09-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.esquire.com/features/pete-carroll-1009 | title=Big Balls Pete Carroll | work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] | date=December 6, 2009 | access-date=3 February 2014 | author=Sager, Mike}}</ref>
* [[Owen Chamberlain]] – claimed the Rhythm Devils gave him "interesting ideas"<ref name="trip375" />
* [[Bill Clinton]], 42nd [[President of the United States]]<ref name="trip375" /><ref name= Garcia-BJ>{{cite book| title= Garcia: An American Life| first= Blair| last= Jackson| publisher= Penguin Books| year= 1999| isbn= }}</ref>{{rp|456}}
* [[Andy Cohen (TV personality)|Andy Cohen]], television personality<ref>{{cite web | last=O'Brien | first= Andrew | title=TV's Andy Cohen Talks Raging Dead & Co Tour With Mickey Hart's Wife On Seth Meyers | website=Live For Live Music | date=June 20, 2017 | url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/tvs-andy-cohen-talks-raging-dead-tour-seth-meyers-watch/ | access-date=November 20, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Ann Coulter]], journalist<ref>{{cite magazine | last= Coulter| first= Ann | title=Ann Coulter on Why She Loves the Grateful Dead | magazine=Billboard | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/live/7416520/ann-coulter-im-a-deadhead-for-life-grateful-dead | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Elvis Costello]], rock musician – a fan throughout the 1970s (including seeing them on the Europe '72 tour), Elvis later interviewed Jerry Garcia for the magazine ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'' in which he effusively professed his admiration for the band. Costello contributed "Ship of Fools" to the ''Deadicated'' tribute album.
* [[Walter Cronkite]], journalist – attended two Grateful Dead concerts<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.harpers.org/index/1995/2/33| title= Harper's Index| first= Marlene |last= Adler| year= 1995| access-date= May 1, 2009}}</ref> and was a personal friend of Mickey Hart.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/celebrating-cronkite-at-90/| title= Celebrating Cronkite at 90| date= 15 May 2007| publisher= CBS News| access-date= May 1, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Lila Downs]], Mexican/American singer –  dropped out of university in the late 1980s and lived about two years on the road following Grateful Dead tours.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?231#bio|title= Lila Downs Bio| website= culturebase.net| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref>
* [[Perry Farrell]], [[Dave Navarro]] and other members of the rock band [[Jane's Addiction]] have spoken to their affection for the Dead in multiple interviews around the time of the ''Deadicated'' tribute album (to which they contributed a version of "Ripple" that incorporated parts of "Bird Song" and "The Other One") Farrell has spoken of admiring how they constructed their sets, stringing songs together.  
* [[Al Franken]], actor, commentator and politician<ref name= Garcia-BJ />
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]], actress, television personality – a fan of Grateful Dead music and personal friend of Mickey Hart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/31/rolling-with-the-dead-legends-rock-three-back-to-back-shows-in-new-york/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090401132343/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/31/rolling-with-the-dead-legends-rock-three-back-to-back-shows-in-new-york/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 1, 2009 |title=Rolling with the Dead  |website= RollingStone.com |access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dead.net/features/dead-world-roundup/road-again-rockin-faithful-and-good-causes-few-minutes-phil-lesh |title=Dead World Roundup |publisher=Grateful Dead| website= dead.net |date=9 April 2009 |access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref>
* [[Mike Gordon]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Stephen |title=Bassist/vocalist Mike Gordon talks about his new album, his band's notorious long windedness and his most aggravating fans |url= https://music.avclub.com/bassist-vocalist-mike-gordon-talks-about-his-new-album-1798207853 |website= Music.AVClub.com|date=16 October 1996 | publisher= |access-date=22 October 2018}}</ref>
* [[Al Gore]], politician<ref name="A&E"/>
* [[Tipper Gore]], activist<ref name="A&E"/>
* [[Fred Goss]] – actor, director, writer, and editor, who created the TV show ''[[Sons & Daughters (2006 TV series)|Sons & Daughters]]'' in 2006. The theme song to the show is the annotated "Althea".
* [[Jerry Greenfield]], co-creator of ice cream brand [[Ben & Jerry's]]<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6D9173EF933A05754C0A961948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fG%2fGarcia%2c%20Jerry |title= Company News; Ben & Jerry's|date=July 30, 1987|access-date=2007-06-16 | work=The New York Times}}</ref>
* [[Matt Groening]], creator of ''[[The Simpsons]]''<ref name= dozen>{{cite web| url= https://www.starpulse.com/bill-walton-george-rr-martin-and-a-dozen-of-the-most-famous-grateful-d-1848489427.html?page=9| title= Bill Walton, George R.R. Martin And A Dozen Of The Most Famous Grateful Dead Fans| website= StarPulse.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= July 5, 2015| archive-date= October 31, 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181031173745/https://www.starpulse.com/bill-walton-george-rr-martin-and-a-dozen-of-the-most-famous-grateful-d-1848489427.html?page=9| url-status= dead}}</ref>
* [[Keith Haring]], artist<ref name="trip375" />
* [[Phil Jackson]], basketball coach<ref name="trip375" /><ref name= Garcia-BJ />{{rp|415}}
* [[Malcolm Jenkins]], professional American football player
* [[Steve Jobs]], co-creator of Apple Inc.<ref name="A&E">{{cite web | work= Biography.com| url= http://www.biography.com/people/groups/celebrity-deadheads/all | title=Celebrity Deadheads a to z | publisher= [[A&E (TV channel)|A&E]] | access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[Christopher Kimball]], TV cooking show host{{spaced ndash}} has a cover band Shady Grove<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A47549-2004Feb17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110216092706/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A47549-2004Feb17 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 16, 2011 |title=King of the Kitchen | newspaper=The Washington Post | first= Candy |last=Sagon |date=February 18, 2004}}</ref>
* [[Stephen King]], author<ref>{{cite web | last=Pauly | first=Brett | title=STEPHEN KING'S A DEADHEAD AND IT SHOWS | website=Chicago Tribune | date=May 26, 1994 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-05-26-9405260136-story.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>
*[[Ezra Koenig]]{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} <ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.mixcloud.com/sonos/ezra-koenig-in-defense-of-the-dead/ |website=m.mixcloud.com| title=EZRA KOENIG, IN DEFENSE OF THE DEAD}}</ref> and [[Chris Tomson]] of [[Vampire Weekend]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenhaus |first1=Mike |url=https://jambands.com/features/2012/08/24/moving-full-circle-with-vampire-weekend-s-chris-tomson-tri-phish-and-old-school-geeking/ |website=Jambands.com |title=Moving Full Circle With Vampire Weekend's Chris Tomson: TRI, Phish and Old-School Geeking|date=24 August 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Patrick Leahy]], politician<ref name="trip375" /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://leahy.senate.gov/vermont/chats/chat980506.html |title=Patrick Leahy at Vermont Senate.gov |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060601203735/http://leahy.senate.gov/vermont/chats/chat980506.html |archive-date=2006-06-01 }}</ref>
* [[Steve Liesman]], journalist – hosted 2015 pay-per-view of last shows from Chicago
* [[Mike Lookinland]], actor (played Bobby Brady on ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'')<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.gettingit.com/article/35 |title=A Greg-Shaped Box: Barry Williams dismantles post-Brady hijinx, and hawks his CD |publisher= | website= Gettingit.com |access-date=February 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120224959/http://www.gettingit.com/article/35 |archive-date=January 20, 2013 }}</ref>
* [[Frank Marino]], Canadian rock guitarist{{spaced ndash}}has in interviews talked about his interest in classic San Francisco rock. He has referred to the music he and Mahogany Rush play as Grateful Dead jazz.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kaos2000.net/interviews/frankmarino/|work=Kaos2000 Magazine|title=Fall 1999 – On the phone from Canada|access-date=2008-07-30|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080720063932/http://www.kaos2000.net/interviews/frankmarino|archive-date=2008-07-20|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[George R.R. Martin]], author of ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''<ref>{{cite web | title=George RR Martin says Grateful Dead inspired previous work | website=The Guardian | date=May 5, 2015 | url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/05/grateful-dead-inspired-george-rr-martin | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref><ref name= dozen />
* [[John Mayer]], musician – discovered the Grateful Dead's music by accident while listening to [[Pandora Radio]]. Co-founded and is currently touring as [[Dead & Company]] with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti
* [[Laraine Newman]], actress{{spaced ndash}} along with many others from the original ''Saturday Night Live'' cast; has spoken about attending the closing of Winterland<ref>{{citation| via= YouTube | title= Conversation with Tom Davis| interviewer= Tom Davis| first= Laraine| last= Newman| date= | url= | publisher= }}</ref>
* [[Adam Nimoy]], documentarian and the son of actor [[Leonard Nimoy]]; stated he spent the early 1970s as a Deadhead<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sequart.org/magazine/64686/for-the-love-of-spock-an-imperfect-portrait-of-a-fascinating-man/| website= sequart.org| title= For the Love of Spock: An Imperfect Portrait of a Fascinating Man|access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://moria.co.nz/sciencefiction/for-the-love-of-spock-2016.htm|title=For the Love of Spock (2016) |website= moria.co.nz |date=18 September 2016| publisher= | access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref>
* [[Larry Page]], co-founder of Google<ref>{{Cite book| author=Vise, David A. |author2=Malseed, Mark | year=2006 | title=The Google Story | chapter=When Larry met Sergey | edition=2nd  | page=22 | publisher= Delacorte Press | isbn=0-330-44005-5 }}</ref>
* [[Nancy Pelosi]], politician<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-skinny-follow-the-money-nah/|title= The Skinny: Follow The Money? Nah|access-date=2007-01-04 | work=CBS News | date=January 4, 2007}}</ref>
* [[Bob Pisani]], journalist<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/01/confessions-of-a-deadhead-40-years-with-the-grateful-dead.html |title=Confessions of a Deadhead: 40 years with the Grateful Dead| website= [[CNBC]].com |date=July 2015 |access-date=18 May 2020}}</ref> 
* [[Jerome Powell]], chair of the US Federal Reserve<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/21/listen-to-the-music-play-fed-chair-jerome-powell-admits-to-being-a-deadhead.html | title=Listen to the music play: Fed Chair Jerome Powell admits to being a Deadhead | website=[[CNBC]] | date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
* [[Lee Ranaldo]], rock musician, [[Sonic Youth]] {{spaced ndash}} has spoken of the Dead's influence (the Dead's "Feedback" jams of 1968 and 1969 being obvious precursors to Sonic Youth's own feedback forays). He appears in the documentary "The Other One" singing the band's praises.
* [[Harry Reid]], politician<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=5753478 | title=The I-Team Talks With Senator Reid in Searchlight | publisher=KLAS-TV | access-date=February 5, 2013 | last= Knapp| first= George | website= 8newsnow.com| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140220182058/http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=5753478 | archive-date=2014-02-20 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Henry Rollins]] and [[Greg Ginn]], rock musicians of [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]] {{spaced ndash}} In a ''[[BAM (magazine)|BAM]]'' review of a Dead show in [[Irvine, California]], on April 13, 1985, the author wrote: "So-called adventuresome people who dig Black Flag probably wouldn't be caught alive at a Grateful Dead show". Ginn subsequently wrote to ''BAM'' to explain that he and other members of Black Flag had attended the concert being reviewed, that he had attended many Dead shows and that the Grateful Dead was his favorite band.<ref>{{cite magazine| date= Winter 1986| place= fanzine | magazine= The Golden Road| title= Response to ''BAM''| publisher= | pages= }}</ref>
* [[Adam Scott (actor)|Adam Scott]], actor and comedian<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.earwolf.com/episode/analyze-phish-episode-3/ |title= ''Analyze Phish'' episode 3; episode 5 of ''Earwolf Presents''| format= Podcast |publisher= | website= Earwolf.com |date=2011-11-28 |access-date=2014-06-19}}</ref>
* [[Chloë Sevigny]], actress<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20639834,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413010459/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20639834,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 13, 2013|title=On My iPod: Chloë Sevigny|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Steve Silberman]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dead.net/features/all-family/all-family-steve-silberman |title=All In The Family: Steve Silberman | website= dead.net|date=21 May 2013 | publisher= |access-date=20 June 2019 }}</ref>
* [[Mark Talbott]], former professional squash player<ref>{{cite web |url= http://squashmagazine.ussquash.com/2008/07/mark-talbott-a-very-good-friend/ |title=Mark Talbott: A Very Good Friend |website= squashmagazine.ussquash.com |date=July 2008 |access-date=11 January 2016 }}</ref>
* [[Miles Teller]], actor<ref>{{cite web |title=Miles Teller honors the Grateful Dead - 2024 Kennedy Center Honors |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRzOAE1F9XI |website=Youtube |publisher=The Kennedy Center |date=22 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schmidt |first1=Mackenzie |title=Miles Teller's Fans Are Sending HIm Grateful Dead Shirts After He and Wife Lost Home |url=https://people.com/miles-teller-wife-keleigh-grateful-dead-shirts-la-fires-8778172 |website=People |date=3 February 2025}}</ref>
* [[Patrick Volkerding]], founder and maintainer of the [[Slackware Linux]] distribution<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2750|title= Interview with Patrick Volkerding|access-date=2011-07-18 | work=Linux Journal | date=April 1, 1994}}</ref>
* [[Bill Walton]], professional basketball player<ref name="trip375" /><ref name= Garcia-BJ /><ref>{{cite press release| url= http://billwalton.com/dead_press_release.html |title=Press Release |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060514063700/http://www.billwalton.com/dead_press_release.html |archive-date= May 14, 2006 }}</ref> – known as "Grateful Red", he frequently included Dead references in interviews. Walton was a fan of the Dead since 1967, when he was a teenager, and he subsequently attended over 800 of their concerts during their career.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Varga |first1=George |title=Bill Walton has seen the Dead 850+ times |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/sdut-bill-walton-chats-about-life-and-the-grateful-dead-2015jun27-htmlstory.html |website=sandiegouniontribune.com |date=27 June 2015 |access-date=8 September 2018}}</ref><ref name= dozen />
* [[Bill Weld]], politician<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/03/15/ex_mass_gov_with_als_raising_funds_for_research/ | title=Ex-Mass. Gov. with ALS raising funds for research | work=The Boston Globe | last= Salsberg| first= Bob| via= boston.com | date=March 15, 2012 | access-date=February 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title= Sadness From the Streets to High Offices| first= John| last= Markoff | work= The New York Times |date= 10 August 1995}}</ref>
{{Div col end}}

== Deadhead Day ==
Deadhead Day is a globally celebrated holiday in honor of the Grateful Dead, the music they created and the culture of Deadhead fandom. Deadhead Day is celebrated each July 9th to commemorate the Grateful Dead's final concert performed at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deadheadday.com/ |title=Deadhead Day |access-date=June 7, 2024}}</ref> 

The holiday is an opportunity reach out to old friends, curate playlists to share and organize local meet-ups where fans can socialize with other Deadheads. 

2023 was the inaugural year of the holiday.

==See also==
* [[List of fandom names]]
*[[Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies]]
*[[List of jam band music festivals]]
*[[Ecstatic dance]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Deadheads}}
* {{cite web | last=Jurgensen | first=John | title='Deafheads' Marked a Milestone of Their Own at Final Grateful Dead Shows | website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=July 10, 2015 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/deafheads-marked-a-milestone-of-their-own-at-final-grateful-dead-shows-1436503168 | access-date=July 10, 2015}}

{{GratefulDead}}
{{Rock festival}}
{{Hippies}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Grateful Dead]]
[[Category:Hippie movement]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1960s]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1970s]]
[[Category:Youth culture in the United States]]
[[Category:Musical subcultures]]
[[Category:Music fandom]]
[[Category:Counterculture festivals activists]]