Friday, May 19, 2006
Ramrod
Long-time Grateful Dead roadie Lawrence "Ramrod" Shurtliff passed away this week from lung cancer.
Ramrod was pretty much there from the beginning. He was a Prankster who eventually ended up joining the Dead family in 1967. There were always 2 sides of The Grateful Dead. There was the one side that was just complete anarchy. The band, the fans, the music and the mayhem that surrounded it all. Then there was the other side. The side that made sure every show was run like a well-oiled machine. That side was Ramrod's department. I can't even imagine what it was like keeping that circus on-track for nearly 30 years, but he did.
Robert Hunter wrote a beautiful Elegy for Ramrod.
There are articles here and here.
Fare Thee Well
