Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the founder and longtime lead guitarist (1965-1995) of the band the Grateful Dead. Garcia was seen as an icon of the Hippie counterculture of the 1960s. He was considered an almost mythic hero to his fans, called deadheads. Garcia was an innovator who was constantly experimenting with sound. He was one of the most recorded guitar players of all time.