Garcia Quotes

“Speaking more generally about what attracted him to bluegrass banjo, he said it was 'just the sound of the instrument, and then the fire, you know; the speed and all that. I was attracted by the intensity of it, really. And I was drawn to that incredible clarity-- when something is going along real fast and every note is absolutely clear. That, to me, was really amazing-- the Earl Scruggs instrumentals...' But Garcia refused to commit himself to just one style of music. Though bluegrass became his overriding obsession for about two years, he still dabbled in folk, old-timey and blues whenever the opportunity arose and there were players around.”
― Blair Jackson, Garcia : An American Life

“David Nelson says that one of the staples of his diet during this era was ketchup sandwiches”
― Blair Jackson, Garcia : An American Life

“Hunter he had these big tins of crushed pineapple that he'd gotten from the army,' Garcia said, 'and i had this glove compartment full of plastic spoons, and we had this little cooperative scene, eating this crushed pineapple day after day and sleeping in the cars and walking around.”
― Blair Jackson, Garcia : An American Life

“He did not care about anything, as long as he had that guitar, as long as he had cigarettes. There was always somewhere to stay, food always manifested somehow. He lived on less than nothing for a long, long time. And he allowed himself to have this incredible space, this time to devote to his craft. And he had no plan, either. This was just what he liked to do and this is what he was interested in. I don't think it ever occurred to him that he wouldn't be able to do whatever he wanted.”
― Blair Jackson, Garcia : An American Life

“That's all he did. That's it. He played music. He was totally dedicated. He would play all day long. If he was trying to learn something, he would practice it until he got it. And it wasn't something he ever had to force himself to do. For some reason, he was absolutely charmed, in the sense that it never occurred to him that he would have to earn a living. He was totally content.”
― Blair Jackson, Garcia : An American Life