SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 30 -- Rock icon Jerry Garcia, the driving force behind the Grateful Dead, died of a severe case of hardening of the arteries, not a drug overdose, the county coroner confirmed Wednesday. Gary Erickson, the Marin County coroner's investigator, said toxicology tests showed Garcia had used heroin as late as a day before his death, but that the drug did not contribute to his fatal heart attack Aug. 9. 'We know there's a history of drug use or abuse,' Erickson said. 'There was an indication that at some time in the past he had used heroin...It (the heroin use) wasn't contributing toward his death.' The coroner's official said an autopsy revealed that Garcia suffered from severe arteriosclerosis. Two of Garcia's coronary arteries were 85 percent clogged with cholesterol while a third was 30 percent clogged. The condition likely was related to Garcia's fondness for junk food. He also was a diabetic, overweight and smoked -- all factors that can lead to severe heart disease. Dennis McNally, the band's publicist, said Garcia simply fell victim to his lifestyle. 'He had a heart attack, which is exactly what we said three weeks ago,' McNally said. 'He was a man trying to deal with his life and had a heart attack.' Garcia had entered a Marin County drug rehabilitation clinic, Serenity Knolls, Aug. 7. A nurse found the 53-year-old rocker dead at 4:23 a.m. Aug. 9. Although the coroner's office ruled out foul play immediately, Garcia's history of drug use forced investigators to run toxicology tests, causing a delay in determining the cause of death.
Jerome John Garcia, born Aug. 1, 1942, was the founder and best known member of the Grateful Dead, formed in his native San Francisco in 1965 and known for a repertoire that covered psychedelic rock, folk rock and even a bluegrass country sound. The band's best-known songs include 'Truckin'' in 1971 and 'Touch of Grey,' which reached No. 9 on the charts in 1987. Three decades after their start, the Grateful Dead remained one of the top-drawing concert acts in the music business.
