Duane Allman’s opinion on Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was one of the Rock and Roll bands that emerged in the United States in the 1960s and influenced not only American music but also the lifestyle of many of their fans, later known as “Deadheads.” The late guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia was an essential part of the group and was praised over the years by many musicians, especially in the United States.

Another artist from that generation was the late, legendary Allman Brothers Band guitarist Duane Allman, who had the chance to see Jerry and the band perform live and shared his opinion about them.

What was Duane Allman’s opinion on Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead

“I love the Dead! As for Jerry Garcia, (he) can walk on water, he could do anything any man can ever do. He is a prince, like I said about Eric (Clapton), they’re both princes and geniuses in their own right, man. But not so much of geniuses as they can’t be some good old cats, you know. If you see him (Jerry), you tell him how much I like him, man.”

“You tell him the same goes for me, because he is a beaut, man! He is a wonderful good man that cares a lot about you and people like you, man. He is solid, he is something else, man,” Duane Allman said in a radio interview in 1970, featured on “Skydog Tales” (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

The late Allman Brothers guitarist had the chance to meet Jerry Garcia and the band for the first time during the Atlanta Festival in 1969. At the time, concert promoter Murray Silver called Duane to ask if he could rent his sound system for another band that was also part of the festival. When he found out it was for the Californian group, he told him they could use it for free, as long as he introduced him to Jerry.

He recalled:

“The Dead arrived in Atlanta without their equipmen. I called Duane Allman at home in Macon early on Sunday morning to ask him if I could rent his sound system. He asked me who it was for. When I told him it was for The Dead, he told me that I could have it for free in return for introducing him to Jerry Garcia.”

“The Brothers brought their equipment to Atlanta and the two bands met for the first time. At the end of The Dead’s set, the Allman Brothers joined them onstage. They played a version of ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ unlike anything that has been heard before or since. A few years later these two bands played before hundreds of thousands at Watkins Glen. But only 2,000 saw them at the Sports Arena on May 10, 1970,” Murray Silver said.

During that year The Allman Brothers Band was Grateful Dead‘s opening act on several dates. Duane joined them on stage during many of those shows. Some of the songs he played with them was “Spanish Jam”, “Turn On Your Love Light” and “Angi”. After Duane’s tragic death they continued to perform together over the years.

They remained good friends. Bob Weir and Phil Lesh even joined the Allman Brothers during their 40th anniversary show at the Beacon Theatre in 2009. Gregg Allman later covered the Dead song “Black Muddy River” on the album “Southern Blood,” which was released posthumously in 2017.

Jerry Garcia said he really enjoyed playing with The Allman Brothers

Jerry Garcia was also a fan of The Allman Brothers and really enjoyed playing with them. He saw many similarities between them and the Grateful Dead. “It’s kind of like playing with us the way we were five years ago (laughs). Musically and set-up wise, they’re kind of similar to the way we used to be.”

“They especially sounded like us when they were the original Allman Brothers. They had two drummers, two guitars, organ and bass. Exactly the instrumentation we had (when drummer Mickey Hart and organist-vocalist Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan were in the band). In fact, Dickey and the guys had flashed on our music when we played at a festival in Florida about five or six years ago.”

“We really inspired them and they’ve patterned a lot of their trip after us. They’re like a younger, Southern version of us in some ways musically. I really enjoy playing with those guys, they’re fun to play with. They’re good,” Jerry Garcia said in an interview with Cameron Crowe in 1973.

The Allman Brothers paid tribute to Garcia when he died

On the night Jerry Garcia died in 1995 at the age of 53, the Allman Brothers Band paid tribute to the guitarist by playing the song “Blue Sky,” using the Grateful Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower” riff as the intro. The show was happening at the Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh, NY with the Black Crowes. Dickey Betts stepped up to the microphone and dedicated the show to the late musician.

The Allman Brothers Band came to an end in 2014 after Gregg Allman decided to retire from touring. Their final show took place at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Three years later, Gregg sadly passed away at the age of 69 due to complications from liver cancer.