Jerry Garcia’s Go To Heaven iconic album cover worn ivory suit & limited edition Henry Diltz print are among the items
Julien’s Auctions and MusiCares’ annual call to action to help the underserved music community in their greatest times of need will be enriched by an unprecedented collection of marquee items being offered by the MusiCares 2025 Persons of the Year Honoree the Grateful Dead. Twenty rare, never-before-offered items coming directly from the definitive American band who will be honored at the historic MusiCares celebration ahead of the Grammys will headline a star-studded lineup of instruments, memorabilia, wardrobe, artwork, and more from the greatest music icons in the industry heading to MusiCares Charity Relief Auction live at The Recording Academy in Santa Monica, California and online on Sunday, February 2nd.
Celebrating 60 years as one of the most influential and enduring bands in American history, the Grateful Dead has been in the foreground of music and the counterculture revolution since its inception in 1965. Breaking and expanding artistic and cultural boundaries with their renowned fusion of rock, folk, jazz, and avant-garde music, the band changed the world through their iconic concert tours, community building, activism and spirit beloved by their millions of fans known all over the world as Dead Heads, who have taken the long strange trip along with them.
These pieces offer a capsule of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted artists and the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award-winning phenomenon’s prodigious alchemy, groundbreaking experiments, and most indelible moments. Making a stunning appearance will be Jerry Garcia’s ivory-colored two-piece suit with the initials “JG” in the interior pocket, worn on the front cover of the iconic album Go To Heaven–making this the first time a garment worn by the revered Grateful Dead co-founder and frontman offered from the Estate of Jerry Garcia will come to auction, as well as a custom colorized fine art print of Jerry Garcia signed by photographer Henry Diltz with inscription “Jerry Garcia – AP/5”.
Bobby Weir’s owned and played D’Angelico Deluxe Bobby Weir 3 semi-hollowbody electric guitar in Satin Trans Wine finish, a Vox AC15HWX amplifier and pedalboard that includes a grey road case with numerous stickers and tape markings, some of which are labeled “BW WEIR.” The guitar will be signed by Bobby Weir. Accompanied with the D’Angelico hardshell case that includes set lists 1 and 2 from the Dead Ahead Festival in Cancun, Mexico show on January 13, 2025, a baggie of Jim Dunlop Jazz I picks with holes drilled through them for added grip, a broken lanyard card from the Grand Lido Negril Adults-Only Resort, an “I Am One Lucky Fucker” magnet from January 17-20, 2019, and a “Kiss Me I’m Dead” sticker. Mickey Hart’s original and signed psychedelic masterpieces created, on various canvases from his drumheads, cymbals and beyond, will be celebrated such as, “Planet 91011,” an acrylic on circular panel painting with a wood base housing a lighting system that illuminates in different colors; “Mind Your Head” an assemblage art piece featuring 105 empty “Mind Your Head” marijuana joint tins mounted onto a black painted wood panel; a psychedelic-painted Remo brand drumhead; “Flying Saucer” drum cymbal; acrylic on wood painting, titled “John Cage;” and a limited-edition print on Chromaluxe panel, titled “Psychopomp 1 – Litt Goldman,” numbered 1/50 on the verso.
Kicking the auction into high gear will be Bill Kreutzmann’s owned and used white Yamaha Alex Acuña ten-inch timbale and Zildjian 18″ medium thin crash cymbal. Rare test pressings of their iconic albums, the 2024 reissue of 1973’s Wake Of The Flood, the 2023 reissue of 1989’s Built To Last, and the 2024 reissue of the 1990 three-LP set Without A Net, each signed by Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux, will make beautiful additions to any Dead Head’s collection.
Other Grateful Dead offerings include: McIntosh Grateful Dead Limited Edition RS 150 and RS 250 wireless speaker systems made to celebrate the longstanding collaborative relationship between the Grateful Dead and McIntosh, which dates back to 1974 with the debut of the Dead’s three-story, 28,000-watt speaker system known as “The Wall of Sound,” signed by Bobby Weir and Mickey Hart; a Grateful Dead ski package including a pair of limited-edition 1/1 Atomic Bent 120 skis adorned with Grateful Dead 60th Anniversary graphics designed by artist, film producer and professional freeskier Chris Benchetler. The skis come complete with a pair of Atomic Hawk Ultra boots, size 26/26.5, bindings, and a pair of Dragon DX3 goggles. The package is accompanied by a metal Atomic display stand featuring a fabric banner with Grateful Dead 60th Anniversary graphics. This package is also accompanied by an Ikon season ski pass; and a Grateful Dead vault tour hosted by Mark Pinkus, President of Rhino Entertainment, that will take the winning bidder to a climate-controlled secure facility accessible only to a small group of trained professional archivists that houses over 15,000 audio recordings on every format that was in use from 1965 to today, over 3,000 video tapes, and nearly a quarter million feet of 16mm film with over 1,700 live shows on audio, over 125 live shows on video, and all of the Grateful Dead’s master recordings, along with session tapes and alternate takes from these projects. Before the tour, the winner will speak with the band’s archivist, David Lemieux; and a Grateful Dead: 30 Trips Around the Sun 80-disc box set with a limited-edition scroll numbered #10 from Rhino Records.
The Julien’s Auctions MusiCares Charity Relief Auction supports MusiCares’ mission to provide a safety net for music professionals in times of need. This annual event, held in conjunction with the MusiCares Persons of the Year celebration, raises essential funds that help music professionals recover from crises, including the unprecedented challenges posed by the recent wildfires in Greater Los Angeles. While the items on auction honor the legacy and creativity of music’s biggest icons, the funds raised have a very tangible impact—supporting services such as disaster relief, mental health resources, addiction recovery, and essential living expenses for those in the music community. This year, the auction takes on even greater importance as MusiCares continues its work to address both the immediate and ongoing needs of music professionals affected by these devastating events.
This Official Grammy Week event precedes the 67th Annual Grammy Awards Telecast. Proceeds will benefit MusiCares, the leading music industry charity. MusiCares provides the music community a support system of health and human services across a spectrum of needs including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief.
