Portland Vigil

We set up the PA on our One City Center patio overlooking the heart of the city. The sweet, magical music Jerry had given us for 30 years was filling the air under a bright, beautiful moon. I swear that I saw his smiling face in it.

On August 9, 1995, just before the WBLM Classic Lunch Hour, I went into the Blimp Studio to let Tommy C know that Jerry passed. He offered his condolences with an expression that you would give someone who just lost a family member. For Deadheads, we had.

23 years ago today, Portland Deadheads came together for a candlelight vigil on Monument Square. We set up the PA on our patio overlooking the heart of the city. The sweet, magical music Jerry had given us for 30 years was filling the air under a bright, beautiful moon.

Deadheads came together for a candle-light vigil on Monument Square. We set up the PA on our patio overlooking the heart of the city. The sweet, magical music Jerry had given us for 30 years was filling the air under a bright, beautiful moon.

When the news came over the AP teletype machine here at WBLM, I was stunned to read that Jerry Garcia had died suddenly a week after his 53rd birthday.  No one knew that he was at a rehab clinic. It was common knowledge that his years of hard drug use and diabetes were taking a toll. But, we all wanted to believe he was going to get better.