Early influences

[bs69]

I thought this would be an interesting topic. I've always believed, at least in my experience, that most deadheads have been into music from an early age. What are your early influences?  I, like I suspect most, first got started listening to what their parents listened to. My dad was not big into music, but my mom was, which was fortunate because she was the one that pretty much drove me everywhere and most of my earliest connection was listening to the radio in the car. The other early outlet was my parents records, which I would listen to whenever possible. I was born in the late sixties, so my early memories are in the early seventies period and I was into music very early. My earliest memories and some of my favorites even today are listening to Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Carol King, James Taylor and of course Dobie Gray ( Who didn't love drift away?) because that was what I was hearing from mom's car radio. I also remember listening to Buddy Holly and Elvis records on the old turntable. These are some of my most vivid memories even today although I was only very young. Unfortunately the Dead weren't played on mom's station How about you?

[bs69]

I want to add that the song from this period that definitely had the most impact on me was Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle". That song greatly influenced my life as a parent. I swore that I would never rue watching my kids grow up and have traded opportunities that would have caused me to do so because time together and memories are far more important than money. Sorry for getting on the soap box.

[Hardpan]

Born in 1980, with Deadhead parents, my earliest memories of music are of Grateful Dead and 10000 Maniacs being played on my parents stereo when I was little. My earliest personal memory of music is listening to Touch of Grey on my parents headphones and dancing around like a goofball in the mirror, singing "Kim Fields gets high" as the chorus, my first of many misunderstood lyrics, lol. Went to an urban grade and high school, where rap was the popular music of choice, and I listened to that from maybe 13 to 16, and a lot of those lyrics still play through my head to this day, funny what will stick with you. Discovered the Grateful Dead for myself on a family vacation car ride up to Cape Cod, listening to the studio recording of Terrapin Station. My dad was rediscovering the Dead and hearing the music brought back early childhood memories for me. I went thru a similar hiatus, and rediscovered them with a fervor a few years ago. Still have a very large soft spot for 10000 Maniacs and Natalie Merchant, too. 😍😍

[Dead duck]

Born in ‘77, my early music influences was 80’s country (dad) and “golden oldies” 60’s music (mom). 

My first cassette was Michael Jackson’s Thriller and my first concert was Weird Al opening for The Monkees, who I loved due to Nick at Night rerunning the old TV series. 

And couldn’t agree more on the “cats in the cradle” stuff. My boys may never have  had the nicest clothes or the most expensive toys but never went without what was needed either. And when I’m dead and gone they will have plenty of memories of concerts and trips and places that they got to go with their old man. And tons of stories about the characters they have met along the way.  Hopefully bout to create a memory of  a kickass trip to Red Rocks this summer. 

[BillK522]

10000 Maniacs actually opened

for the boys 7/4/89.

Wasn't there but knew some

that were.

 

Praise DSO

[Hardpan]

17 minutes ago, BillK522 said:

10000 Maniacs actually opened

for the boys 7/4/89.

Wasn't there but knew some

that were.

 

Praise DSO

Oh man, what a day that must have been.

[acududeman]

Born in '65 to very cool parents.....these were some of the sounds emanating loudly through my dad's McIntosh driven Bozak tower speakers......Beatles, Brubeck, Gershwin, Oscar Peterson, Simon & Garfunkel, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, lots of jazz and classical......I developed an ear for Wagner early on.......awesome when cranked loud on a kicking system! I helped turn him on to Coltrane (Love Supreme) & Miles (Kind of Blue).

[Dancin' Fool]

Born in '64, to semi-cool? parents. They had a few LP's that I explored (a Kinks LP w/ Ape Man comes to mind), but the REAL influence from their records came from a 4 lp set called Superstars of the 70's. https://www.discogs.com/Various-Superstars-Of-The-70s/release/512289   My first exposure to Allmans, GD, Zep etc besides the radio. We would put the 4 discs on the spindle, and let them drop onto each other one by one as each one finished playing. Of course, there was a lot of lifting the needle to advance to a different track so as to skip Judy Collins and a few others! Always played School's Out on the last day of school. Dad's Scott speakers still going strong (cloth surrounds not foam). The Scott receiver died 10 or so years ago. Great Thread! Thanks for the memory jog!

 

Acududeman, any chance you know the model McIntosh? Bucket list item for myself...

 

[Ammagamalin Crew]

I ordered that superstars of 70's 4 lp set (from tv I think), also being a dragon, born in 64, first concert was David Cassidy, when I was 6  (went with my older sister and my mom for her birthday), my first rock concert was in 7th grade, Led Zeppelin,  it was their 2nd of two shows in Cincy, (Wed night 4/20/77?) I was a concert junkie from there on in, Pagey and Jerry along with Frank had that "what just happened appeal", (simply amazing fret work), Airplane, Allmans, CSN&Y, Badfinger, ACDC, Van Halen, Deep Purple, Kinks, Dylan,Emmylou, Floyd, Bowie, Woodstock film, and a lot of midnight concert films that used to play at a theater downtown, first exposure to JG was Tom Snyder's Tomorrow show with Jerry and Bobby playing a few acoustic songs, should have been in bed, but then the trail was being blazed

[Tea]

Formative years were the early '80's but I was a classic-rock junkie.  My first concert was Aerosmith at the tender age of 10 - lol!

 

My earliest forays were Beatles (g.o.a.t - IMHO), Zeppelin, Springsteen, The Who, Stones, Van Halen, Zappa, Floyd (big time), CSN&Y, The Allmans, The Police, and Marvin Gaye (growin up in Motown).   

 

As I've said before, when I finally 'got' the GD, it was like it had already been a part of me for a thousand lifetimes.  Nothing else comes even close to that effect - Floyd a little maybe, but just a little.  

[Dr. Barry]

My first concert was also Aerosmith! 1977, Nassau coliseum. 13 years old. I recall Boston was the opening act. Loved Aerosmith. My first rock and roll band! Then of course The Who, Stones, Floyd, Zappa. And then very quickly the Grateful Dead. But how that happened is the stuff of another post. 

 

Dr. B😎

[Island Bro]

I had a similar background as Mr T,,started on Beatles then moved into Stones, the Who, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, CSNY,,and got my first GD album in 6th grade (Workingman's Dead). Also went to my first concert that year which was The Who on their 1982 "Final Farewell Tour" 😂How many tours did they do after that?!! Continued to get more GD albums along with everything else thru middle school.

Was a big Zeppelin fan in 8th/9th grade but probably the entire direction of my life changed when I got turned on to live dead tapes in junior year of high school...first show followed shortly after. Played the shit out of the crustiest recordings on many of those tapes!

 

Also remembering being very into Cream, Iron Butterfly, Buffalo Springfield, and Jethro Tull in high school. Oh and Janis Joplin as well. And some Dylan too.

The Woodstock movie at age 14 had a profound influence, I would say.,.

 

Good thread.

 

 

[acududeman]

9 hours ago, Dancin' Fool said:

Born in '64, to semi-cool? parents. They had a few LP's that I explored (a Kinks LP w/ Ape Man comes to mind), but the REAL influence from their records came from a 4 lp set called Superstars of the 70's. https://www.discogs.com/Various-Superstars-Of-The-70s/release/512289   My first exposure to Allmans, GD, Zep etc besides the radio. We would put the 4 discs on the spindle, and let them drop onto each other one by one as each one finished playing. Of course, there was a lot of lifting the needle to advance to a different track so as to skip Judy Collins and a few others! Always played School's Out on the last day of school. Dad's Scott speakers still going strong (cloth surrounds not foam). The Scott receiver died 10 or so years ago. Great Thread! Thanks for the memory jog!

 

Acududeman, any chance you know the model McIntosh? Bucket list item for myself...

 

 

Not sure the model McIntosh......tube amp plus receiver......circa '68-ish.......undoubtedly collectable now......Dual turntable.....Sony reel -to-reel......Tandburg cassette deck......it was a kicking system.

[2muchfun]

Born in late fifties, my parents liked the Christmas special stars such as Andy Williams and Perry Como.

My 10 year older than me sister was more of an influencer. Only when I got older did I realized what those Barry White albums were for.

Beatles, Mamas and Papas, as well as Fleetwood Mac were part of her collection. While most my age were losing their virginities to Rod Stewart I was fortunate enough to avoid that and went with ladies choice.....Rhiannon

 

Grateful Dead came late...in college...guy down the hall blasting Live Dead ad nausea...then that fateful day asked me if I wanted to go to Palladium and see them live. The rest is history. 

[Michael Doc Watson]

My earliest memory of music is from a night going way out into the back woods with my father when I was maybe five or six, following the creek to the blue water spring where the moonshine still was set in an old broke down stone house, and a Bluegrass band playing,  people dancing and having a good time. The full moon shining overhead through the trees.

Latter years my parents got an electric record player.  My mother would play classical music from 45s which had to stack maybe ten little disks on the thick center shaft…interrupting the flow every couple minutes as the next disk dropped to the platter and the arm reset.

My father had more popular music on the 45s  .  Catchy tunes like this one….

 

[PoetryGirl]

Wow Doc that is something else!

I loved all kinds of music growing up.  Notably,  my first  favorite songs were Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World”,  Heart’s “Magic Man” and maybe some of you know .,,, Paper Lace’s “ The Night Chicago Died”. 

 

I saw a band when I was 4 or 5 out at Middleton Place below the live oaks blanketed in Resurection fern and dripping chigger infested moss near old Ms Eliza’s cabin. The music at one point got loud  with bass and I could feel it in my body. Dancing always my favorite pastime. 

 

An eclectic array of classical, pop, rock until I found Doors, Aerosmith,, Van Halen,  Clapton and Cream, Dead Kennedys, Violent Femmes into REM out of 80s pop into CSNY, Yes, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane. I dated a guy whose brother was a big deadhead and the 3 of us went to Atlanta and saw a show. I was intrigued and studied up digging into the beatniks and the counter culture of the 60s and collected tapes and started seeing shows. 

[Island Bro]

You are into Chigger Infested Moss, too?! Those guys kick ass--especially live...

[PoetryGirl]

7 hours ago, Island Bro said:

You are into Chigger Infested Moss, too?! Those guys kick ass--especially live...

 

I can’t caution all, still I might warn a few

[Rude]

1.  Zeppelin 

2. Floyd 

3.  Grateful Dead (studio, live dead and Europe 72 was all I had)