Reflections: Bill Kreutzmann Remembers Robert Hunter
I first met Robert Hunter at the Tangent, that little club in Palo Alto, on the same night that I first saw Jerry Garcia play music. You might think that watching Jerry for the first time would be the takeaway from that night—the standout that makes me remember a random evening well over a half century later—but meeting Hunter left an equally strong impression. He had this paper trick that he showed me and, later on, as I got to know him, I learned that it was part of his character. He was always quick with the mind games.
Speaking of mind games, Hunter was by my side for a particular day, seemingly lifetimes ago, that would forever alter my adventure on this planet—my first acid trip. You never forget your first, and he was there with me on that journey, complete with us watching the garbage trucks go by in the morning, after being up all night, convinced they were actually aliens or other fantastical things.
Working with him on Jerry’s solo album, Garcia, was a different kind of trip. Hunter was inside the control room, writing lyrics as we played music. “The Wheel” came out of that. “Sugaree,” too. “Bird Song,” “Deal”—songs I still play today and that many of us can recite by heart. I know I sure can. The last time I was with Hunter in person, we had just wrapped up work on the 7 Walkers album. Hunter was the lyricist and it was a special honor for me because it gave me a chance to work with him directly, one on one, outside of the Grateful Dead proper. He loved that music, and to celebrate the album being done, I went over to his house in San Rafael with Papa Mali and we drank wine and had a good time.
Papa Mali had his acoustic guitar with him and Hunter fetched his and they played songs together. What I loved about that was that it was like having my own private show. Which was a fitting final hang, because even though we were lifelong friends, in that moment, watching him play, I got to show him that I was also one of his fans.
We’ve all heard Deadheads over the years refer to the Grateful Dead as having magical properties and I don’t usually like to comment on that, but I will say now that music itself can be magical. Because, even though Robert Hunter is gone, his words will continue to glow with the gold of sunshine and we will continue to hear his voice come through the music. Let us hold it near, as if it were our own.
Bill Kreutzmann served as the Grateful Dead’s drummer throughout their entire 30-year run. He currently performs with Dead & Company and his own band, Billy & The Kids.
This article originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of Relix. For more features, interviews, album reviews and more subscribe below.
