Sturgill Simpson Joins Dead & Company For 60th Anniversary Performance In San Francisco

Dead & Company, featuring surviving Grateful Dead members Bobby Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, are celebrating the band's 60th anniversary with a series of concerts at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Country artist Sturgill Simpson, also known as Johnny Blue Skies, has been a notable collaborator, opening shows and joining the band onstage, notably performing the 1967 track "Morning Dew" alongside John Mayer, who frequently fills in for the late Jerry Garcia. Simpson's connection to the Grateful Dead runs deep, with the band's music playing a crucial role in his recovery from a vocal injury and inspiring his return to music. The anniversary shows have featured other special guests like Grahame Lesh, son of late bassist Phil Lesh, who joined for songs including "St. Stephen." The festivities culminate with a final show that includes a live stream option, and San Francisco has honored Garcia by renaming a street near his childhood home. Throughout the celebrations, Simpson's genre-bending style and his reverence for the Dead's legacy have been widely praised by fans and critics alike.