Photo Credit: Jay Blakesberg

Ever wanted Jerry Garcia to read you a story? That’s an option now, thanks to a new alliance between the late guitarist’s estate and the AI voice company ElevenLabs. According to initial reports on Billboard, fans of the late Grateful Dead member can experience Garcia’s vocal presentation of audiobooks, articles, poems, PDFs, and more in 32 languages.  

The spokesperson behind the partnership reported that ElevenLabs was involved “in close collaboration with the Jerry Garcia Estate to ensure that the reproduction of Garcia’s voice was as authentic and true to his legacy as possible.”

Garcia is the latest in a long list of famous voices to partner with ElevenLabs. Others include Burt Reynolds, Judy Garland, James Dean, and Sir Laurence Olivier, who have allowed fans to use their voice for immersive reading experiences. Reportedly, as an extension of use beyond ElevenReader, Garcia’s AI-generated voice will be used for various upcoming projects with the Jerry Garcia Foundation. 

“My father was a pioneering artist who embraced innovative audio and visual technologies,” said Keelin Garcia, co-founder and vice president of the Jerry Garcia Foundation and the late artist’s youngest daughter. 

“In the 1990’s, my dad introduced me to the computer, digital art, and video games. When we traveled on concert tour, we played on Game Boy. At home, we’d have fun playing on the Macintosh in the studio where my father created his first digital art, and housed his MIDI guitar. Now, as technological landscapes continue to expand, ElevenLabs AI Audio technology will offer fans the first opportunity to hear and stream a replica of my father’s voice reading their favorite books and other written content,” she continued.

Dustin Blank, head of Partnerships at ElevenLabs, added, “At ElevenLabs, we’re committed to preserving and celebrating cultural legacies while pushing the boundaries of technology. By bringing voices like Jerry Garcia to our platform, we’re not just enhancing our app—we’re creating new ways for people to experience content.”

In conclusion, Blank asserted, “This project has been a labor of love, and we couldn’t be happier with how Jerry’s voice has been recreated. It’s a beautiful thing to bring his sound to life again for both longtime fans and a new generation of listeners.”

For more information, visit ElevenLabs.io.