Founded in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1960s, the band Grateful Dead embraced genres like gospel, rock, reggae, country, and even bluegrass. Performing on stage for three decades, the band released over a dozen studio albums. The band’s last album to hit shelves was back in 1990 with Without a Net. Helping propel music into a new era, the band landed a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And recently, the last remaining members of the band, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, were honored at the 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors with performances by stars like Sturgill Simpson.
Throughout the years, several members of the original lineup for the Grateful Dead passed away. Ron McKernan passed away in 1973 at just 27 years old. Having suffered from alcohol abuse, the singer struggled with liver damage. And back in 1995, Jerry Garcia passed while fighting an addiction to drugs. And the latest person to pass from the original lineup was Phil Lesh, who passed just a few months ago in October. While the legacy of the Grateful Dead lives on, the members received special recognition at the Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
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And what better way to celebrate the Grateful Dead than a powerful performance from Simpson? Looking over the band’s extensive music catalog, the singer decided to cover the classic song “Ripple.”
[RELATED: 3 Face Melting Covers Sturgill Simpson Has Played on Tour]
Sturgill Simpson Goes Far Beyond Music
Thankfully, the performance made its way online as fans couldn’t get enough. “Grew up a Dead Head in Stanford. Seeing Sturgill cover the song I have most likely heard at least once a day my whole life? Absolutely a dream come true.” Another comment included, “And THE MAN is singing my favorite Dead song… S.S. saving music and leading the charge!”
As for Simpson, he stayed busy over the last few years as he released his newest album Passage du Desir back in July. While not releasing any new albums in 2023, he appeared in the hit films Killers of the Flower Moon and The Creator. That same year, he appeared in a few episodes of The Righteous Gemstones. Not remotely slowing down, Sturgill continues to leave his mark on music and Hollywood.
(Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)
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