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.
10 - Nick aka. StaggerSage
Thanks Justin,
I've been wondering for a long time if John ever went to a Show or met Jerry, and this is a cool anecdote. I was just asking this question on the www.further.com web site. Just had to do a little web surfing to find the answer. Thanks
11 - Tony Beers
We should all stay open to just showing up when we can let ourselves. John for whatever reason couldn't get there, but he did show up for life and others many times. And Jer can't show up for us now, but he did show up so many nights with his six string around his neck with just a simple C to G...It would have been beautiful to have Jer and John sharing light and letting it be sweet, rocking it all the way out too. But every time you feel the music shooting up from your gut, when your spine grows and you start to dance without thinking...I know I'm there, I'm sure Jer and John aren't missing a beat or a riff either. Rejoice! We are the music when we allow ourselves to be with it!!
12 - Gary
That version from Pacific High Studios is just plain outstanding.
13 - xian
Which Jerry album is Imagine on?
14 - Save
Justin,
Wasn't there a McCartney /Dead connection? Linda had a retrospective photography exhibit featuring many Dead related photos shown at some gallery in Greenwich, CT?
Just wondering....
Thx
15 - John Doherty
Yes, Linda McCartney had shot a short film of the Dead playing live way back in the day, (like '68 or so? maybe in NYC?) and after her death, there was talk of Paul completing it. I gathered that it was not much more than a home movie, if even it was finished & mostly notable because LEM had done it.
16 - Jackrabbit
Lennon was great, but Garcia was a true artist.