In the early '70s Jerry Garcia was starting to make solo records when the Grateful Dead weren't working. On one of those first efforts he recorded "Imagine." Before a Jerry Garcia Band show, in New York, John Lennon came by to thank him. Lennon told Jerry that his version of "Imagine" was the first time someone had covered one of John's solo tunes.
After the show they talked for a while and Jerry invited John to come back the next night to join him on stage. John said he would return the following day and do a sound check with the Garcia Band so they could work up a few tunes. Lennon never came back and Garcia thought that all the imposing Hell's Angels hanging out backstage might have "scared him off."
Article comments
1 - Michael J. West
Where did this story come from?
2 - justin Kreutzmann
Michael,
Jerry Garcia told me this story.
3 - Temple Stark
And sarcasm is not, intended in the above.
4 - Michael J. West
Oh! THAT Kruetzmann!
:-D
Sorry. I didn't recognize you.
5 - justin Kreutzmann
No worries. I often don't recognize me!
6 - Mat Brewster
I once didn't recognize myself, but after a second look I realized I was someone else.
7 - Victor Lana
Justin,
Wonder if it was the Angels or maybe just that John was deep down a really shy person. We'll never know, I suppose.
Nice anecdote though.
8 - mike
jerry and john are my two hero's in life. i have never heard this story and it makes me smile. thank you for it
9 - knownonsense
I stopped looking and found myself.