Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia gets a street named after him in San Francisco
Mayor Daniel Lurie led the dedication ceremony at the intersection of Mission and Harrington streets in the Excelsior District — just steps from the modest yellow house where Garcia lived with his grandparents and first picked up a guitar.
'Jerry gave San Francisco and its people lasting memories and music,' Lurie told the crowd. 'He created something out of nothing. Jerry had the spirit of a rock star, an innovator and a futurist.'
Born Aug. 1, 1942, Garcia attended Monroe Elementary and Balboa High School — each just blocks from his childhood home — before serving in the U.S. Army. After returning to the city, he immersed himself in the local music scene and, in 1965, co-founded the Grateful Dead. The band's fusion of rock, folk, bluegrass and psychedelia became a cornerstone of 1960s counterculture and cultivated one of the most devoted fanbases in music history.
Trixie Garcia, the musician's daughter, spoke of the personal significance of the tribute.
'Jerry was a magical person,' she said. 'He was humble, he was generous, he was talented. It's truly an honor, on behalf of Jerry Garcia's family, to witness this historic street naming.'
District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen, who authored the renaming resolution passed in April, celebrated the moment as a source of neighborhood pride.
'District 11 is the most diverse district in the world,' she said. 'We continue to celebrate that diversity through Jerry's music — and now through his name on this street.'
The ceremony kicked off a weekend of festivities marking the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary and commemorating the 30 years since Garcia's death on Aug. 9 in 1995, just days after his 53rd birthday.
More than 100,000 fans are expected to converge on San Francisco for a series of commemorative events, including a three-night run by Dead & Company in Golden Gate Park from Friday to Sunday, August 1-3.
The street renaming also coincides with the 23rd Annual Jerry Day, a free community celebration at McLaren Park's Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
Founded in 2002, the festival honors Garcia's life and seeks to unify the diverse communities around the park through music and art.
This year's Jerry Day, held Saturday, Aug. 2, features performances by Melvin Seals and JGB, Grammy-winning fiddler Mads Tolling and Stu Allen & Mars Hotel.
In addition to the live music, the amphitheater will host free livestreams of Dead & Company's Golden Gate Park shows.
Jay Pham, a local small business owner and longtime supporter of the Jerry Day movement, expressed gratitude during the ceremony.
'You guys are at one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco,' he told attendees.
As the ceremony drew to a close, the crowd spontaneously began singing 'Happy Birthday' to Garcia. Mayor Lurie noted that attendees had come from every U.S. state and 38 countries.
'This is how our city carries his legacy forward,' he said. 'Forever remembering someone who defined it.'
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