While on stage one day, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart was greeted by a fan who proceeded to give Hart his brother's skull. The fan explained that his brother had been a huge fan and would have liked Hart to have it. Looking at the skull, Hart proclaimed it a true "deadhead".--From Marley Brant's new book, Tales From The Rock 'N' Roll Highway
"The road", as the touring circuit that musicians travel is known as, can be a strange and at time terrifying place. Marley Brant's new book, Tales From The Rock 'N' Roll Highway, is a breezy collection of stories gathered from many rock musicians, some household names, most not, who have stories of their travels which alternate between humorous, salacious, and in the case of the example from the Dead's Mickey Hart, horrifying.
You won't find a Dave Marsh-style sociological history of the touring practices of popular music here, but it's a light, fun read and also a sobering introduction for any musician considering hitting the road. Elite bands have stayed in first class hotels and rented their own private jets. The rest have slogged it out via cars, busses and coach-class airplane flights. But both groups of musicians have many tales to tell from the rock and roll highway.
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