Owsley "Bear" Stanley - 1935-2011
I met Owsley at the age of eighteen. I had just left home, having run off with a Rock&Roll band. Bear, as we knew him, was one of my all-time biggest influences. Always, when I think of him, I think of the endless stuff he taught me or somehow made me realize, all stuff that I've been able to use to the benefit of countless people who probably don't know much about him or how deeply he influenced me and the rest of the band. Most important was the approach he taught me and us: Always be open and engaging - always critical and questioning, but not negatively so much as playfully. He taught me to take myself and my interests out of the picture and work with the subject under consideration so that the best deductions or conclusions are made. I guess this means working from the point of view of the higher self, though that term never came up; it was always just assumed...
-Bob Weir
Shawndog Thank You....
Thanks MP51 for the Jimi tripper!
We keep losing the giants. It is up to us now. My thoughts and prayers go out to Bear's extended family; of which I am proud to be a member. I really got a kick out of reading any interviews I could find; with him and/or Jerry. It's nice to know that we have some similar thoughts.
I love you all.
Peace Bear, we'll miss you
As I consider the passing of his body, I am grateful for the presence of his spirit, and intellect. I celebrate the gifts I received even though I didn't know from whom they were given until much later.
For those of us still walking among the living, I wonder did the key-maker leave anything to unlock the doors for us now, or did those go with him?
Transposed into life in the key of peace
I remember talking to Bear, he was a nice soul.He always had vast amounts of knowledge to offer about anything in life.
I remember the little bronze or golden Buddha that would sit on a certain groups table, this would signal that he was at the show.
God Bless you Bear.
His support of the band in the early days and his contributions to the bands sound system were huge. All of his "Sonic Journals" recordings that he started making of every show the Grateful Dead played in the early days are what evolved into all the releases and Dicks picks and gave us fans tons of great music to cherish forever. And lets not forget this man was responsible for what made the 60s and 70s a "real trip" without him and his vision things just wouldnt have been as cool as they were. He was the Acid King. He will be missed. Farewell Bear. RIP
when i heard bear had passed, it reminded me of a hendrix cd , radio one, that was released by ryko, and during day tripper, at about the 1:20 mark, jimi say like "owsley, can you hear me now"
check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIbRgVQMjbQ&playnext=1&list=PL0AB9C85D7A6096F5
That knocked the wind outta my sails.
From a very SPECIFIC BEAR, BLASTED to EVERYTHING IN GENERAL in a FLASH.
Go good.
Go FAR, Brother Bear.
JiJi
Although I live in Indianapolis I was at the Fillmore this weekend - the band Umphrey's McGee played a song in his honor.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bear at a Dead show in the late 80s or early 90s. We discussed his art, which he was displaying, and a couple of general things- I was pretty intimidated, to be honest. His influence went out so much further than our community alone, obviously. His influence on world culture vis-a-vis The Dead, The Beatles, Jimi, etc is literally incalcuable and beautiful. The Rolling Stone article on him a couple of years ago was fascinating and recommended reading. He was one of a kind and I am very saddened by this news. Blessings to his family.