Jerry Garcia and the Missing Finger... Look!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 3 Apr 2006 6:18 pm

It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t stop him from finger picking a banjo and a pedal steel… creating a unique sound, and building up a $9 million estate to boot! We should all be so handicapped!

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This poster hangs on the wall of my teaching studio as a reminder to my students… don’t complain that your fingers don’t work!

This has probably been mentioned here before, but at four years old, Garcia lost his middle finger from his right hand when his older brother chopped it off with an axe while the boys were splitting wood.[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 03 April 2006 at 08:05 PM.]

Herman Visser · Post by **Herman Visser** » 3 Apr 2006 7:55 pm

There is also a steel player in Muskegon, Mich. That plays steel with no right hand thunb.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 3 Apr 2006 8:11 pm

They finally located his missing finger. It was at Wendy's...

Jason Schofield · Post by **Jason Schofield** » 3 Apr 2006 9:27 pm

I've been reading the book Garcia : An American Life by Blair Jackson. It's a really great read. I must recommend for any Garcia and Dead fans. What a band. Will there ever be another like them to combine so many different styles and such phenomenal song writting too. I really miss those guys.

I have some cds for sale here and on my web site if interested. http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum18/HTML/000720.html

Tim Jones of Kansas · Post by **Tim Jones of Kansas** » 3 Apr 2006 10:14 pm

Hmmm...

I read somewhere that Don Helms has a portion of one of his picking fingers missing, apparently from a 'lawn mower incident.' It doesn't stop him from playing either.

Tim Jones
~)Fender 1000 and NOTHING else(~

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 3 Apr 2006 10:26 pm

Django

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 4 Apr 2006 4:11 am

I thought there would be one of these storys:

Tony Melendez Story
Tony Melendez can't clap or shake your hand, but he can sure jam on the guitar.
... Tony Melendez may have been born without arms, but that didn't stop him

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 4 Apr 2006 6:45 am

Does anybody know what happened to Bobbe Seymour's finger? If you notice, one of his fingers on his bar hand looks rather strange. I asked him one time but he never responded to my question.

I recall the story of the guy going home after a night on the town and he thought he was doing ok until somebody stepped on his hand. Bobbe? NO WAY!

Erv

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 4 Apr 2006 6:59 am

Jimbeaux, you rascal! That's funny. I think Bobbe gave the finger to the wrong guy in a road rage incident.

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Howard

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 4 Apr 2006 7:04 am

I think Lari White is missing a digit, but it hasn't affected her singing ......

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 4 Apr 2006 7:24 am

Well, truth is, I'm missing several digits... all from my paycheck!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 4 Apr 2006 7:54 am

A missing finger or two? You think that's a handicap? Check this guy out (I saw him play several times at the old Sunset Park, in West Grove, PA.)...
http://www.missioncreep.com/mundie/gallery/gallery15.htm [This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 04 April 2006 at 08:54 AM.]

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 Apr 2006 7:57 am

This sounds a little creepy, but notice how long Jerry's 3rd finger (actually his 2nd finger) is compared to his 1st finger. Who has a 3rd finger that is so much longer than the 1st finger? It probably just developed that way over the years because of the extra work it did. It must have come in handy for playing wide string grips. hmmm... he did play a lot of 6th harmonies. We might be on to something here.[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 04 April 2006 at 09:14 AM.]

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 4 Apr 2006 8:17 am

Big deal, so he was missing a finger. What about those of us who lost substantial numbers of brain cells in the '60s? Um...what was the question again?

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 4 Apr 2006 8:54 am

So possibly this finger thing is why he played the way he did? Then possibly we shouldn't have been so hard on him.

Herman Visser · Post by **Herman Visser** » 4 Apr 2006 9:09 am

Well I quess there is HOPE for me yet.
Three and a half fingers and a thumb and only 6 stings

Curry Coster · Post by **Curry Coster** » 4 Apr 2006 9:23 am

LMAO, Bobbe....

Curry

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 4 Apr 2006 9:39 am

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 4 Apr 2006 2:33 pm

C'mon Bobbe, I saw that skull and roses tatoo on your arm. We all know you're a closet Deadhead. I saw the microbus out back. And what about that "What A Long Strange Trip It's Been" sticker on your airplane. You can admit it. We're all friends here.

Brad

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 4 Apr 2006 3:04 pm

I once worked with a steeler at a Jamboree who had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident.He still continues to play in the Rhody area I'm told. I alway thought that to be quite remarkable. I'm sure You know who I'm talking about Doug.

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Smiley 23-9 Crank&pull&push pro model Deluxe with auto voice tuner and string changer.500ft.roll.

[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 04 April 2006 at 04:05 PM.]

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 4 Apr 2006 3:42 pm

Well, you've got to hand it to Jerry, playing guitar like he did without the w hole finger.[This message was edited by HowardR on 04 April 2006 at 04:45 PM.]

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 4 Apr 2006 3:54 pm

Well, he certainly looks like he's feeling no pain.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 4 Apr 2006 6:20 pm

I agree Bobbe, he is one of the greatest steel players ever.

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John Drury
NTSGA #3

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 Apr 2006 8:50 pm

Those who like Jerry Garcia will say “he played well considering he was missing a finger”.

Those who don’t like Jerry Garcia will say “no wonder he played so weird, he was missing a finger”.

So maybe the missing finger isn’t all that important. I have a feeling that Jerry would have sounded the same with three fingers, four, five or even six fingers!

Joe, yes, I think I know the steel player you’re talking about. I saw a one-arm steel player at Scotty’s Convention back in 1981. He held the bar in his picking hand and somehow managed to pick and use the bar with that one hand. On that same show there was a blind lap steel player who had the sweetest tone I ever heard… sounded just like Jerry Byrd. I guess the bottom line is… real musical ability will trump most any handicap. Django Reinhardt is probably the best example:

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 5 Apr 2006 6:09 am

hey doug, is there a video of that one armed player out there? do you remember his name? sounds pretty cool. just goes to show, where there is a will, there is a way, now if we can only find a player with no hands who picks with his feet, that would be something.