On Friday, April 13th, Steve Parish, a longtime roadie for the Grateful Dead, will participate in a virtual Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session to answer questions from fans and curious folk. The Q&A will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. (PST) on the Grateful Dead subreddit. Most recently, the Grateful Dead subreddit hosted an “Ask Me Anything” chat with Donna Jean Godchaux on March 30th, though has also tapped former Grateful Dead keys player Tom Constanten, hippy icon Wavy Gravy, Grateful Dead historian Dennis McNally, and more over the last few months to connect with fans.
Steve Parish was a primary member of the Grateful Dead family for over three decades, first joining the band as a roadie and friend in 1969, eventually taking on the role of Jerry Garcia’s trusted gear handler and the manager of the Jerry Garcia Band. Over the years, Parish grew particularly close to Jerry Garcia, and the two forged a close friendship. Parish served as best man at Garcia’s wedding, spent hours by his bed in 1986 during Garcia’s coma, and was the last friend to see Garcia before his untimely death in 1995.
In 2003, Parish wrote Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead, an autobiography following his time with the Grateful Dead. Composed of behind-the-scenes stories and filled with insight as to what it was like to be part of the Grateful Dead crew, the book follows Parish from his earlier years in Queens getting busted selling acid to finding the Grateful Dead, becoming part of their family, and witnessing both the triumphs and tragedies of life on the road.
You can head over to the Grateful Dead subreddit on Friday, April 13th, from 6 to 8 p.m. (PST) to ask your questions to Steve Parish.
[H/TÂ JamBase]