In a new interview on Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast, Bruce Hornsby recalls the final days of Jerry Garcia, as witnessed from the keyboardist’s perspective.
Hornsby collaborated extensively with the Grateful Dead in the late 1980s and early ’90s, serving as an interim keyboardist following the death of Brent Mydland in 1990. He pulled double duty alongside permanent keyboardist Vince Welnick through March of ’92, returning for sporadic sit-ins through the rest of the Dead’s original 30-year run.
“In the last year of Garcia’s life,” Hornsby told hosts Andy Frasco and Nick Gerlach, “they called me a couple of times and they asked me, ‘We’re playing Charlotte. Would you fly down here… ’cause Jerry needs a lift and we’re thinking maybe your presence might lift him up.’ Because he was really struggling, I mean really.”
Hornsby accepted the offer and sat in for the Dead’s entire March 23rd, 1995, show at the Charlotte Coliseum. Though Grateful Dead shows had become fairly hit-or-miss by ’95 (with more misses than hits), Charlotte Coliseum had some strong moments, particularly the second set run from “Scarlet Begonias” through the first “Space” in over four years. With the added vocal power, the Dead also delivered their final version of The Band‘s “The Weight” to close that show.
Grateful Dead — Charlotte Coliseum — Charlotte, NC — 3/23/95 — Set Two
[Video: John Philbin]
Following the success of the Charlotte show, the band invited Hornsby back to sit in with them at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. in June, his final performances with the band. The shows yielded a few more diamonds in the rough, including the first “Black Muddy River” since ’91 and a moving “Days Between”. But these strong points were only accentuated by Garcia’s frailty.
“I could tell he was really having a hard time,” Hornsby recalled.
Shortly after the Grateful Dead wrapped what would be their final tour on July 9th, 1995 at Chicago’s Soldier Field, Hornsby called Garcia’s house to see how he was doing. Jerry’s longtime road manager Steve Parish answered, telling Hornsby that Garcia was going to the famed Betty Ford Center for substance use treatment. Reversing his long-held opposition to rehab, Jerry himself told Bruce that he had decided to go.
Another couple weeks went by, and Hornsby called Garcia’s house to get a progress report on Jerry. Big Steve answered again and, to Bruce’s surprise, told him Jerry was back from Betty Ford and handed him the phone.
“‘Yeah, I think I’ve kicked it. I think I’m good. I feel great,'” Jerry allegedly told Hornsby. Bruce had his reservations, knowing it takes more than just two weeks to work through many years of substance use issues.
“So we talked a lot that day,” Hornsby recalled. “He sounded pretty good and we talked about, I was getting ready to do something with Ornet Coleman and Ornette had played with them and so we talked about that and he said, ‘Wow, I’d sure like to be fly on the wall.’ I said ‘Well let’s try to get it hooked up, get you to be a part of that.’ So we were making plans for projects to come and then four days later he was gone.”
Shortly after that phone call, Garcia checked into the Serenity Knolls treatment center in Forest Knolls, CA, where he died of a heart attack on August 9th, 1995. He was 53.
Watch Bruce Hornsby recall his final interactions with Jerry Garcia on Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast, as well as the full interview. He also discusses Garcia’s final days in this 2020 Rolling Stone piece.
Jerry’s Garcia’s Final Days: Bruce Hornsby’s Perspective
Bruce Hornsby: Untold Grateful Dead Stories, Tupac, And His Early Career