Having a High Time: A Grateful Dead Timeline, July 1986 - March 1992

Following an uneventful period, the Grateful Dead’s world began to radically change in the mid-‘80s. Here’s a look at the key events and developments that sparked a creative and commercial resurgence — and marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. 

July 10, 1986
Grateful Dead singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia slips into a diabetic coma for five days. When he awakens, he re-learns guitar and some basic motor skills.

Bob Gendron has been obsessing over music, albums and audio ever since he landed a job at an indie record store at age 13. A longtime contributor to the Chicago Tribune and the first Associate Editorial Director at The Coda Collection, he was also the longtime Music Editor at The Absolute Sound and performed the same role at TONEAudio. Gendron is the author of “Gentlemen” (Bloomsbury) and a coauthor of “Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History” (Voyageur). His writing has also appeared in DownBeat, Rolling Stone, Revolver and other outlets.

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