John Barlow Of The Grateful Dead Has Died

John Barlow
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

Lyricist and Internet Rights Advocate

John Perry Barlow, the lyricist for many Grateful Dead songs, has died. He was 70. He is perhaps best known for writing the lyrics to the Dead staple, “Cassidy”. He joined the band in 1971, writing songs all the way until 1995. He also wrote “Estimated Prophet”, “Mexicali Blues”, “Hell In A Bucket”, “Throwing Stones” and many more.

Barlow had Colorado roots, enrolling at the Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs at 15 years old. It was in Colorado where he met Bob Weir, whom he’d reacquaint with just as the Grateful Dead was hitting its stride.

Barlow passed away in his sleep according to a statement released by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. A famed Internet activist and “cyber-libertarian”, Barlow founded EFF, a digital rights non-profit. In addition, he was a Wyoming cattle rancher after his Dead career, and became Fellow Emeritus at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, at Harvard University in 1998.

Revisit Cassidy below, from the Dead’s famed acoustic gigs in 1980.