On the 25th Anniversary of Jerry Garcia's Passing

Grateful Dead guitarist and lead singer Jerry Garcia died 25 years ago this month, on Aug. 9, 1995.

The beloved rocker "seemed the antithesis of what a rock star is supposed to be," People magazine noted after his death. Garcia didn't look the part, didn't act the part and didn't even sound the part. He was gray-haired, heavily bearded, wore thick glasses and sometimes weighed as much as 300 pounds. Garcia usually dressed in a T-shirt and ill-fitting jeans, and his "stagecraft," the magazine noted, "was to stand stock-still and utter not a word." His voice, it said, was "cracked and reedy."

But Garcia, who was born Aug. 1, 1942, was beloved by countless fans: a "benevolent Buddha" who played the guitar "not with his hands, but his heart," as People wrote.

From August 1-9, the Rex Foundation is celebrating Garcia's memory with a series of daily tribute concerts watchable on Facebook and YouTube; find the links at DazeBetween.com.

Meanwhile, Legacy.com remembers 10 remarkable facts about the music legend who once compared his band to a candy with a unique taste. "Our audience is like people who like licorice," he famously said. "Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice."

1. Garcia's parents named him Jerome after composer Jerome Kern, who churned out more than 700 songs, including "A Fine Romance," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and "Ol' Man River." Garcia's Spanish-born father was a jazz musician and Dixieland bandleader. He drowned in an accident when Garcia was 5 years old, as People noted.

10. Garcia is still very much a part of pop culture. In 1987, ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's introduced "Cherry Garcia," cherry ice cream studded with cherries and fudge flakes. It's still a top-selling variety for the company. In recent years the San Francisco Giants baseball team has celebrated Garcia's birthday with Garcia bobblehead dolls. In 2013, surviving Dead members sang the national anthem before a game; fans went home that day with skeletal Uncle Sam bobbleheads.

To keep track of the many celebrations in Garcia's name, including numerous "symphonic celebrations" nationwide and the annual Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash in West Virginia that's been going on for almost 30 years, visit jerrygarcia.com.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. Her lifelong love of obituaries raised eyebrows when she was younger, but she's now able to explain that this interest goes beyond morbid curiosity. Says Pompilio, "Obituaries are mini life stories, allowing a glimpse into someone's world that we're often denied. I just wish we could share them with each other when we're alive."