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Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead

steve parish joe layden bob weir

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The untold story of life on the road with the Grateful Dead, written by an insider who lived it from the early days to today.

Steve Parish was never one to walk the straight-and-narrow, even during his childhood growing up in Flushing Meadow, Queens. Busted as a teenager for selling acid in the summer of 1968, Parish landed in Riker's Island. The experience changed him and after getting out he did his best to stay out of trouble, securing a job moving music equipment at the New York State Pavilion. The first show he worked was a Grateful Dead concert in July of 1969 and Parish was captivated by the music. A life seemingly headed nowhere had suddenly found its calling as he fell in quickly with a band of likeminded misfits who formed the nucleus of what would be the greatest road crew in rock 'n' roll history.

Parish traveled to California where his apprenticeship began. Working for the band for free and learning his craft, Parish got to know Jerry, Bobby, Phil, Billy and Mickey and through the years their relationships forged an unbreakable bond. He became very close with Garcia in particular, acting as his personal roadie and later manager for his solo performances and Garcia Band shows. He was there during times of trouble (like when a pimp held Garcia hostage at gunpoint in a New York hotel room), spending hours by his bedside when Garcia was in a coma in 1986, and performing the duties of best man at his wedding. He was also the last friend to see Garcia alive.

Throughout the Dead's historic run, there were parties of biblical proportion and celebrity run-ins with everybody from Bob Dylan to Frank Sinatra--but there was a dark side to life on the road and tragedy didn't just strike the musicians.

But Home Before Daylight is a story of friendship, of music and redemption. It is a piece of music history, one that reflects the American spirit of adventure and brotherhood. Seen through Steve Parish's eyes and experiences, The Grateful Dead's wild ride has never been so revealing.

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,2003

This edition

Format
304 pages, Paperback
Published
October 1, 2004 by St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN
9780312333997
ASIN
0312333994
Language
English

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About the author

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steve parish

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Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 65 votes)
5 stars
24(37%)
4 stars
23(35%)
3 stars
18(28%)
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65 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
MahouShojoAubrey
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Great read! I love all things Grateful Dead, but giving this five stars just didn’t seem right after reading Phil’s book - Searching For The Sound. If Phil’s book is five stars in my mind then this must be four…

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lilzeee
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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A fun, touching romp through the history of the Dead, and music in the last 50 years. Fairly unflinching memoir of his life, and relationships with the band and others. Great stories, and his radio show fills in some more.
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starflower
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Well...

Rock Scully's book resonated more to me. Parish wrote with too much apologies. I just wanted him to tell the story.
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KaitharVideo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Fun read from a different angle. Rock from the perspective of the road crew. Lots of sex and drugs and hanging out with the Hell's Angels but the most interesting part was Steve Parish's relationship with Jerry Garcia.
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distortiondear
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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Smooth

Great stories from someone who was actually there. If you’re a fan of the big Steve hour on Grateful Dead radio then this book is for you.
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zefreak
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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more about Jerry and the Garcia band as opposed to a biography about the Dead. Steve worked with Jerry for about 15-20 years and has some real touching stories and experiences.
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