Musings on the Most Ridiculous Band I Can't Stop Listening To

By the Waterside, I Will Lay My Head

 

Morning, Enthusiasts, BoTD here with a sad guest post.  Our esteemed captain, ToTD, Rick Harris, passed away this morning at the the terribly young age of 46. Cancer is a savage beast and it took him quickly and, at the end, brutally.  He left here surrounded by his family and embraced by the love we have for him.  I wish he had left behind a draft post so that you could all hear his voice one last time and have more to remember him by.  I’m not as good a writer as my brother, nor am I as good a poet, thinker, musician, or, well, anything.   He was better than me in all the ways a big brother should be.

Rick had plenty of troubles in his life and found it difficult to find his path.  When he started this site and joined the community of deadheads he finally found a place that welcomed him and took him in just because of the person he was with no judgements or questions asked.  I want to thank all of you on behalf of my family for the support and love you’ve showed him over the past 10 months and in the many years before that.  My future will be dark but it will someday lighten again.  There will always be a piece of my heart missing, the part that I will bury with my brother in the hard dirt of New Jersey, home, where he belongs.  I know tonight he’ll be with Jerry and giving him shit for being the choogliest motherfucker.

Fare you well, I love you more than words can tell…

 

 

125 Comments

  1. TR Donoghue

    So very sorry for your loss. I loved his writing and our interactions on Twitter. He will be missed by many. May the four winds blow you safely home, Rick

    • gbenwarren

      Thank you for sharing your brother with us. I have started my day for the past 7+ years checking for TOTD’s writing. He has made me laugh and cry and I will greatly miss his amazing mind and wonderful characters

  2. Eric

    I’m so sorry to hear this. Peace to you and your family. NFA.

  3. Dennis Jones

    Godspeed. I’m so sorry and gutted too hear this. More than words can tell…fuck

  4. Chris Hutchison

    I’m so very sorry. I found a lot of laughs and small joys here thanks to your brother. Love.

  5. Dawn Judd

    oh no. i have been so worried about him, and will miss him a tremendous amount. he truly was a genius and a great writer. i am so sorry for you and your wife and son. thank you so much for telling us.

    dawn

  6. occidentalpoppy

    I am heartbroken to read this sad news. Your brother was absolutely brilliant. I will always treasure the amazing perspective he brought. I am glad he was loved and appreciated in his short time here, but so sorry he won’t be around when his brilliance is finally “discovered” by a wider audience. Or maybe all of that is yet still to come, just on an alternate timeline in a different dimension. Peace to you and yours in your grieving. May the Four Winds blow him home again.

  7. Steve

    I’m also terribly sad for you and your family. I loved to check in here regularly. I laughed a-LOT. Your brother had a gift for writing naturally and creatively. He always made me smile. I will miss him.

  8. Luther Von Baconson

    I’m so sorry. My condolences to you and your family. He is one of a kind, shines brightly and touched a lot people.

  9. Tor Haxson

    This sucks…

    Well we have each other, and Kiss, Elvis, Katy, Jenkins, the incomplete Murder Heist, WALLY, and more.

    Fuuuckkkk

    Best to you and your family, BoTD


    Tor

  10. rich zweiback

    What terrible news! I am so sorry for you and your family. I looked forward to his writing and will miss his talent.

  11. Smoke

    See you on The Interstitial TotD.

    How can the death of someone I may have never met feel like I lost a close friend. I don’t even know what he looked like but I loved him as as close a friend as nearly any.

    • James A Emery

      Yeah, that’s pretty much what I was going to say. TotD’s tweets and blog posts did so much to get me through this awful year. He did important work. I will treasure the memory of a man I never met.

  12. Amir Bar-Lev

    Hard to get my head around this one. He was really brilliant, and had a great big heart.

  13. Dbati

    I am just heartbroken for you all. He was a joy to read, and wonderful light to many. May his memory be a blessing.

  14. Jim Spies (SpyGuy)

    Thank you for sharing this. Along with my love of his writing and our love of the Dead, I also had a bout with a tumor in the last year and we shared some moments over that (including one memorable conversation about the side effects of pain meds). He will be sorely missed. Is there somewhere we can give in his honor? Thanks.

  15. wtfwjd?

    So very, very, very sorry to hear this. Fare thee well, Rick. And best of luck to you and your family.

  16. Chris Maher

    Wishing you and the rest of his family and friends comfort in happy memories and the love that comes through this page. He was a brilliant writer and I am sad to hear this news. I would love to contribute to keeping this site up for others to find and enjoy.

  17. ritchie vanian

    My deepest condolences. Your brother was a rare talent and wit.

    • Markofsteel

      Summer flies and August dies
      The world grows dark and mean
      Thanks to someone who lighted our days that little that can mean a lot. A unique talent in a world of uniformly.
      All condolences to your family.

  18. Tom Gas

    I never even knew his real name before this moment, but I am genuinely choked up. In a small, but deep way, I share your sense of loss. He was honestly brilliant, unfathomably funny, and lovingly insightful. May the four winds blow him safely home.

  19. Edub

    His words and thoughts and humor hit the sweet spot everytime. So grateful I discovered this site when I did. My condolences. He will be greatly missed.

    • Pew pew

      Special dispensation. Smoke em if you got em

  20. NickP

    You’re a genius, Rick. We’re devastated. Love to you and your family. All
    of my friends….

  21. twaseverthus

    Your brother was hilarious and soulful. I will miss his writing. Sending good vibes from across the Hudson.

  22. Mike Lugassy

    May God bless you and keep you
    May God shine light on you and
    May God show you peace ✌️

  23. Doug

    This is terrible news, I loved reading him. Sending love to you and your family.

  24. Weir’sBeard

    Thank you for sharing, BoTD. I have been worried that this was coming fast and am just heartbroken to hear it has. Your brother was an absolutely brilliant writer and such a voice for us enthusiasts! Our family sends our sincerest condolences to yours. Fare thee well, Rick.

  25. JAH

    I’m so, so sorry. This blog might quite literally be the funniest thing I’ve ever read – Rick was a rare talent. My deepest condolences to you and yours.

  26. Some dick on the internet

    I’m so sorry, BotD. I think a lot of us feared this was coming when he hadn’t posted in a while.
    Your brother was a hilarious weirdo. I mean that in the best way. I too never even knew his name before this post but I felt like I knew him. I hope you can keep the site up as a memory to him. I’ve been following for years and occasionally look through old posts for a laugh. It’s quite a legacy of oddball comedic writing.
    Peace to you and your family.

  27. Crazy Zach

    Loss is so challenging but love never dies. I stumbled on ToTD in one of my many internet wanderings of Grateful Dead inspiration & theme. I am forever affected as a result. Such a writer. Such a mind. Such a humorist & lover of music. A job well done, TODD.
    Love.
    Never.
    Dies.

  28. MrCompletely

    I’m not in a place to say much more tonight but I need to leave something here. Rick was a good friend and had a great mind. I will miss him terribly. Brother on the Dead, I’m sending you an email at Rick’s private address and if you have the energy I hope at some point you see it. But you need to take care of yourself and your family first of course.

  29. Big Mink

    Dear BoTD, Wishing you and your family peace and comfort. Your brother had the rarest of qualities: a voice utterly his own — assured, snarky, provocative, and yet compassionate and expansively curious. He was not just a funny guy (and damn was he funny) but also an inspiration to all writers and artists and seekers about the value and joy of fully inhabiting your own voice. With love and much appreciation, fare thee well, ToTD.

  30. Bingosbrother

    Blast your eyes Jenkins. RIP to one of the funniest people ever.

  31. John Gatta

    So sad and sorry at this news. My sympathies to you and Rick’s family.

  32. mikemj

    Thank you, BoTD, for what must have been a very difficult post. I’m sorry for what you and your family is going through but I hope it helps to know how much joy and laughter your brother provided for so many of us.
    I wish I had better words to express my appreciation for TotD…he will be sorely missed. Despite his relative anonymity this is one of the toughest “celebrity” deaths I can remember. Damn it.

  33. Anthony Pulsipher

    Condolences, thanks for sharing.

  34. Paul H Potter

    His work will be sorely missed. I generally preferred his commentary over all the other established GD scholars. Someday it will be nice to get a band history from someone who wasn’t an employee. Rick really filled that giant void of Dead writing that wasn’t sycophantic or riddled with obvious agendas. He recognized the absurdity that often accompanied the sublime.

  35. Zoran

    I discovered the Dead and Thoughts on the Dead at roughly the same time, and I’m not sure the one would have meant as much without the other. This is fucking hard. I’m so sorry for your loss.

    • xian

      his no bullshit hilarious embrace of the Dead’s quirky multiverse is likely the perfect context for anyone getting up to speed on the Dead today. His blog will end up like the earliest commentaries on scripture, essential for understanding what all of this felt like, how odd it could be, how real, how ridiculous, and how strong.

  36. Carlos

    I’m so sorry and send my deepest sympathies to you and your family. Words fail me as they never did your brother.

  37. Marcus Mitchell

    My deepest condolences! He was so witty and smart, but also so welcoming, I’ve been missing his pithy / biting commentary the last few weeks. Rest In Peace , brother! “Going home, going home, by the waterside I will rest my bones….”

  38. Whit

    So sorry to hear this news. Your brother’s writing brought us all together in laughter. Thank you for this post and may you find peace in your memories of him.

  39. Alfie Clownfish

    May his memory be a blessing. He was a true maniac, an inspiration and nutcase, and will be sorely missed.

  40. dcmack

    Just gutted to hear this sad news. Your brother reminded me that we can’t take our heroes or ourselves too seriously. He was such a great writer. I’m glad he got to pursue this labor of love.

  41. J. Eric Smith

    He was my favorite writer, a rare and precious and hilarious genius. So very sad to hear of his passing. Wishing you and yours all peace in hard times, BotD. Hopeful that the celebration of his life and brilliant creative work bring smiles and laughs and joy to sit beside the sadness and tears and loss, in due time. He meant a lot to a lot of us. He made a difference.

    • Tom

      “He made a difference”…so true. Getting a little choked up over that line

  42. 21st Century Dead

    I’m so sorry to hear, he will be sorely missed.

  43. Jerome Garcia

    Thank you BotD for informing us. Much love to you & your family in your time of loss & grief. He’s riding the great Intersitial w/ Precarious @ the wheel. Bless you TotD. You’re a treasure. You provided me much joy & laughter w/ your musings over the yrs.

  44. chonzbot

    I can’t say anything that has not already been said. TotD brought me more joy than he’ll ever know.

  45. The Woodcutters Son

    I often cry at the end of books. Right now I’m crying buckets. Love to you, BoTD, and your whole family. We’re with you.

  46. bry-guy

    So sorry to hear this. I’m sure I’m like everyone else here and I would check in first thing every day to see if there was a new post from TotD. Usually there was! I don’t know how he kept up with the volume of really funny, cool stuff he posted. I don’t know what he really looked like but when he posted the heavy metal dude holding the flag in the hurricane I thought it was him for a while (he said it was him!). So that’s how I picture him. I’m sorry he’s gone

  47. andrewflack

    Adios, King.

  48. Jerseyjim

    Sorry to hear. Much Love to your family.

  49. August West

    My deep condolences to the family.

    I spent a bit of time commenting here at ToTD World during the FareTheeWell shows period. ToTD really cultivated a great community space to have a healing laugh about the absurdities of “normal” American life. And man did we have some laughs. And though we disagreed on whether a fanny pack is an acceptable accessory in today’s society, I’m gonna wear my best, formal fanny pack today in his remembrance. Have a great journey Rick.

  50. wobs

    I’m heartbroken to hear this news.TotD was one of my first stops every morning, and Rick was a truly brilliant writer, funny as shit, but I also can’t count the number of times he made me cry. I still show people his post about Shamu that gutted me so much. Peace to you and your family, BotD, and much love to the rest of you whose names I saw in passing all these years here.

  51. WhisperingHal

    So sorry to hear this. Condolences to your family. He will be deeply missed.

  52. BBFCreatureFM

    My condolences and vibes to all. May his memory be a blessing.

  53. ste4ve

    So sorry to hear this. I’ve sung “Brokedown” at several funerals in the last two years — each of the people involved died too young. Saw the headline and instantly dreaded what I thought it might signal. Rick and I emailed on and off through the years — the notes were brief, deft, to the point. It was always a gas when he chose one of my pics to illustrate a post. He inspired me (all of us, no doubt) to think and write and listen better and smarter. Big Love and Condolences to the FoTD. And, fare you well, sir.

  54. dj5000000

    Fuck

  55. Shawn

    I had only been following for a few months, but my heart goes out. My brother and I share a special bond through our love of the Dead, it’s something I need to take advantage of more often. May the four winds blow you safely home

  56. Asd

    Longtime reader, (sadly) first time commenter. An irreplaceable person has gone. R.I.P. and hopefully there are great jams wherever you are now.

  57. Shawn

    I feel for your loss. I just starting following the blog in the past couple of months, but he brought lots of laughs to me. My brother and I share a bond through the music of the Grateful Dead, and it something that brings me so much joy. I hope the memories you all made will help lift you in these dark times. May the four winds blow you safely home.

  58. Brian

    I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. Rick’s humor and beautiful writing is a treasure and everyone here is clearly better for him having shared it with us. Nobody really got the spirit of the Dead like Rick. I’m heartbroken.

  59. LastYearsMan

    Oh man, so sorry to hear this, how sad. I just started reading this blog a few months ago and it has been an absolute joy. I knew there was a reason i had Wharf Rat stuck in my head when I woke up. RIP and god bless the Dead

  60. Bobert B

    Sad news, love and condolences to you and your family BoTD, thanks for sharing, RIP Rick

  61. laughingjap

    For the past 6 years, the morning coffee was accompanied by a stop at your Brother’s site. And just about every day was better as a result of doing so.

    THE INIMITABLE RICK HARRIS / THOUGHTS ON THE DEAD. LEST WE FORGET

  62. Tim

    Thoughts and condolences are with you and your family, BotD. I don’t need to tell you how special Rick’s gift was, we’ll all be worse off without it. Thank you for taking the time to let us know.

    Fare thee well and rest in peace, Rick.

  63. Adam O

    May his memory be a blessing.

  64. CarloTrombone

    Such sadness for this loss. Most amount of giggles I ever clocked in regarding any GD material. I will sorely miss Jenkins, Precarious, Roy Head news, and all that Chooglin’. What a great writer. Such sadness.

  65. Matt O

    Fuck, Rick…you made me cry…again and again…and I don’t cry. The kinship was real, the humor/wit/audacity was abundant, the words were impactful/insightful/impossible, and through it all, he was the realest version of him. Thank you for everything for always, ToTD…my heart and mind will never quite be the same.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phAlVzPwRNo

  66. theharperfragment

    For the past six years, every morning’s coffee was accompanied by a visit to your Brother’s site. And just about every day was brighter & better for having done so.

    THE INIMITABLE RICK HARRIS / THOUGHTS ON THE DEAD. LEST WE FORGET

  67. MJK

    My condolences Brother On the Dead and family, friends. I’ve been coming here since the beginning. He kept us entertained right til the end, when he was not well. Funny, gifted writer. I’m in shock. This sounds ridiculous but he responded to me a few times in the comment section and I was absolutely thrilled when he did. He made a lot of people laugh very often and that’s how I will remember him. A true Mensch. Zichrono livrachah. From Michael Kearns.

  68. wabisabied

    Thank you.

  69. JES

    A small bit of remembrance and appreciation, for Rick, his family, and the various esteemed commentators and readers and freaks and friends of the site. Love to you all.

    https://jericsmith.com/2021/04/07/thoughts-on-the-death-of-thoughts-on-the-dead-without-research/

    • Dawn Judd

      that was BEAUTIFULLY done and just the thing that i needed this morning. thank you JES. and thank you to all of the Enthusiasts of the comments section. i felt like i knew TotD (in my house, just “thoughts” as in, this morning thoughts said) and i feel like i know this group, too. peace everyone.

      love, dawn

  70. Chris Dowler

    ToTD was hands down the best writing i’ve read on the internet. He even inspired me to write again. I saw a commenter here mention his voice, and it was truly unique. His writing felt instantly relatable and intellectual at the same time, a near impossible feat. Honestly, this is tough news for me because even though i never met him it feels like i’ve known him for years. My thoughts are with his family and friends as he will be greatly missed in this astral plane.

  71. Martin

    RIP Rick! So glad we got to spend those three days in Chicago together for FTW. I’ll remember those laughs forever. So long brother.

  72. Ray

    What a great companion over these last years…obvious from the comments on how much he meant to us all, and I hope he got some sense of that. Humor during dark times is the best way through. Thanks for that and for the heart behind it.

  73. Glenn

    Your brother’s brilliant, profound writing brought me and many others joy, laughter, and meaning. This post in particular comes to mind about once a week: https://www.thoughtsonthedead.com/thoughts-on-jesse/ “You can have your cake before your steak, but the sequence absolutely has to be birth, then death, and just one time around.”

  74. Tim McIntire

    I knew your brother back in his Boston comedy days. I’m sad to hear of his passing but I’m glad to know he found a home along the way. My thoughts go out to you and your family.

  75. is it about my cube

    I am devastated, just gutted. Rick was one of my favorite writers ever, hugely inventive, funny as hell, and when he brought the serious it was powerful. Plus as a fellow Jewish NJ Deadhead, I loved getting those moments of connection. May his memory be a blessing. And as he himself said upon Eddie Van Halen’s passing: “The king is dead. There will not be another.”

  76. Dreamflower127

    This is so surreal. I don’t want to live in a world without Rick in it. I loved him very much. In spite of his own struggles, he helped me through a very difficult time in my life. I don’t know if I’d be here, if not for him. Which makes this even more brutal and unfair.

    BoTD, I wish your family all the peace and healing in the world, now and always.

    If any fellow enthusiasts, family, or anyone else wants to get in touch to share memories and laughter… Lorien127 at gmail.

    Fare thee well now…let the words be yours, I am done with mine.

  77. Mean. Green. Devil Eating Machine

    Seeing you off, on your trip that we all will one day take; yours started just a bit sooner.

  78. Buck Mulligan

    Farewell Rick. You were a brilliant, hilarious, generous man. Some of your tossed-off make-em-ups are among the finest things I’ve ever read. There was something in your many, many voices that was profoundly, achingly humane. For the last bunch of years you added beauty and humor to almost every single day. The roll call makes me cry all over again: Precarious, Roy Head, Nephew on the Dead, Bill Graham, Wally, Elvis, Benjy stuck in a road case, Snake T-shirt, the camel underneath Garcia. Long may they all roam. It was a mind-blowing delight to have my dog and infant daughter brought to life as characters in the TotD universe. You plugged your friends’ work with almost embarrassing generosity. I hope this weird community summoned into existence by your imagination somehow persists. TotD Freaks Unite.

    I have the most joyous photo of Rick, lit up by fireworks and just the right dose on a warm Chicago fourth of July. If someone can tell me how to post it in the comments I will. I think he’d forgive me for sharing it.

    • andrewflack

      Don’t-a ever forget-a da pope!

    • Dawn Judd

      i would really like to see that photo!

    • Bradley Harris

      You can email me bradharris1@gmail.com (BoTD) and I will post. I’d also love to see it.

    • Martin

      Rock n roll wins the day- and we all won because of Rick.
      Meet me at the dancing bear flag in the parking lot, the one with the Irish flag too, can’t miss it. Will miss you brother, thanks for making the drive.

  79. Jeff

    The best damn writer on the internet period. First stop of the day was this site. A towering talent that comes along just once and a while. Like the best of rock journalism, he could take a cornel of a thought or idea and turn in into something universal. Plus I will really miss the Bill Graham voice.

    There is a tremendous hole in our community – he will be greatly missed.

  80. md

    Sending peace and healing to your family, BoTD. Your brother was a treasure in this terrible cesspool we call the internet. His posts will stay with me as I go forward in this life as a reminder of the pure silliness of it all.

  81. Steve

    Bob Weir just tweeted regarding Rick’s passing.

    Bob Weir@BobWeir
    ·
    3h Via con Dios, Rick. Keep ‘em rockin’ wherever’s next…@ThoughtsOnGD

    https://twitter.com/BobWeir/status/1379826738767650820?s=20

  82. xian

    How unbearably sad.

  83. Jimmy

    TotD brought some much light into my world. His genius wit will live on forever. He was a total enigma and just a fresh breath of air on this fucked up sphere. Made me laugh more than anyone else in the entire world. Thank you. Thank you so much.

    DIAL TONE NOISE EVEN THOUGH PHONES NO LONGER DO THAT

  84. David A Davis

    Although we never met in person, Rick was my favorite person on Grateful Dead twitter. much love to his family and friends. Dave Davis Los Angeles aka gratefulseconds

  85. Sven

    Too sad. Brought me tons of laughs and joy. My condolences to you BotD and your fam. Rest in Peace, TotD.

  86. 80s Grateful Dead

    80s Truthers salute you, sir. Fare you well.

  87. Morning Deuce

    Goddamn. A brilliant straight fucking writer. For my taste, one of the best to ever do it.

    WTF am I gonna do with those nudes of Billy now?

    I always had a hope that one day he would come to SF and I’d take him to lunch at Phil’s place, and we could watch the busboy shenanigans in real time. Overall, he would be underwhelmed by me, and I’d feel like a met a rockstar. No such thing as a free lunch I suppose.

    The twins, Billie and Mickie, are sad today. As are Gordie, Girl Gordie, Northstar, Jean-Luc, and Fleece. Maybe Dave will dedicate the next pick to ToTD? I hope so.

    The flags are at half mast, nobody’s’ working and the drinks are free for at least awhile, in Little Aleppo, which is a neighborhood in America.

    Never met you, but I feel like i knew you as a friend. This hurts. Goddamn.

    • Dawn Judd

      beautiful.

  88. uncle-jimmy

    TotD brought so much joy into my world. His genius wit will live on forever. A total enigma and just a breath of fresh air on this crazy sphere. He made me laugh more than anyone/anything in my life. I will continue to call people hot dog dick for the rest of my days. Thank you. Thank you so much for being a beacon. Peace, family on the dead.

    DIAL TONE NOISE EVEN THOUGH PHONES NO LONGER DO THAT.

  89. ZDB.

    All I’ll say is the algorithm just played Aerosmith “Rocks” out of nowhere here at the warehouse, and that was the last thing I’d joked with Rick about a few weeks ago. Prank on good sir!

  90. Ramsay Ravenel

    What a loss for us all. I literally just this morning, before seeing this, sent both this Kesey rap and my all-time favorite Brokedown Palace (OK, there is no such thing as a single, all-time favorite version of any Grateful Dead song. We don’t do that. It’s not possible. Need 2, or 3, or 5 at least, but I digress… But if you were wondering it’s 10-11-80, preferably an AUD or matrix) to a friend with loved ones facing Mr. Death. I will miss you ToTD. Love and condolences to FoTD (family of – FOTD will take on a new meaning for me now)

  91. dangerousdave

    Even without the hangover I had a bad feeling about today. Now I know why. So many voices he had. Had me convinced he was a made-up committee masked as one guy. Now I know better. A sucky start to Spring. My deepest condolences for your loss. It is unimaginable to me what you are going through and what it must feel like. I am so so sorry for his passing…

  92. Creve Frame'

    I prefer to think of Rick as cruising the time sheath with Roy Head, Elvis, Miles and Jerry. Like Phil said “Dark Star is always playing somewhere. All we do is tap into it.” Same with the sheath.

    No kidding, I laughed out loud more reading this blog over the years than any other space. Roy Head adventures, OMG they were funny!

  93. michael Debruin

    The man put a smile on my face on a regular basis. I shall miss his enthusiasm.

  94. Psychefunkapus

    Learned the news this AM as I lay in bed.
    Listened to BotD’s Brokedown Palace link this afternoon, and the floodgates burst open with Clarence’s solo.

    Laying down in bed just now, I just reflexively hit the TotD permalink on my phone… damn.
    Rick was a part of my life, and I’ll really miss the mark he put on it daily. Thank you for making this world a more beautiful and enjoyable place, my friend.

  95. Tom Banjo

    Such sad news. I’ve been fearing it was coming. Condolences to Rick’s family and loved ones.
    He was so gifted and we were blessed that he shared his gift with us.
    Thank you Mr. ToTD. Choogle on, brother…

  96. FormerlyNoThoughts

    Thank you so much for letting us know. Rick has been on my mind a lot, and he was always pleasant in our direct interactions. His writing, though… As the many other comments make clear, it touched people, not just with humor. I’m so glad that he found a way to share his gift, and that we came together to appreciate him. I think he knew how much we liked his stuff; I sure hope so.
    Real tears for someone who meant a lot to our community.

  97. Duncan

    Best writer EVAR!

  98. Murray

    The rarest of rarities – a blogger (who started on Blogspot, no less) who hit for the cycle with originality, talent, humor, and a gift for lexicon. There are too many of his turns of phrase in my daily vocabulary to count. Not only that, Rick was a curator nonpareil and hipped me dozens of excellent Dead shows. The years I followed his writing were richer for it.

  99. Greg

    My condolences Brother and Family, may comfort come knowing what a huge joy Thoughts brought to so many lives, wit intelligence his view of our world sorely to be missed by all of us, love is love never fade away

  100. RI Tom

    I wish Rick, his family, and all of you all peace in this time when all we can hear is DIAL TONE NOISE EVEN THOUGH PHONES NO LONGER DO THAT.

    ToTD had a gift, obviously for words, but also for bringing the best out in this community. Keep on choogling and enjoying the absurdities.

    Love.

  101. rockasaur

    Oh boy, like all of us, I am so sad. I will miss him, his voice, his wit, his love and compassion for all of us.

  102. Matt Busch

    Rick was both hysterical and brilliant. We all loved his writing and would often text each other his posts. Many a late night on the tour bus weir and i would be in stitches reading his latest. We never met him but were happy to help him into the shows the last 2 times we played Miami. He will be missed tremendously.

  103. Stephen Unwin

    Oh that’s dreadful. I’m so sorry. He made me howl with laughter and his brilliant, witty irreverence for the GD and its associated lunacy was such a tonic. I’m so sorry.

  104. Matt Busch

    Rick was as brilliant as he was funny. We first discovered him around the time of the Fare Thee Well announcement and we’d often text each other his posts especially as they hit close to home. Weir and I have spent many a late night on the tour bus reading his posts out loud and laughing to the point of tears. Though we never met him we were happy to know he was at the last 2 Miami Wolf Bros shows. He will be missed tremendously.

  105. coltrane1

    Fuck cancer.

    RIP Rick. My condolences to BOTD and Rick’s whole family.

    TOTD’s writing brought me joy and laughter on a daily basis and his memory and writing will always burn bright for me. I sent him some ganja and mushroom caramels several years ago as a gesture of gratitude for what he gave me on the reg and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to meet him online through that. His writing will live on. Someone should publish Little Aleppo.

  106. Merkin

    So very sad. I am forever grateful for how he brought Jer and Pig back to life, if only for a few moments. And his heelarious depictions of basketball head, during that sociopath’s reign of misery.
    My deepest condolences to you and your family, BoTD

  107. Mr. Mystery

    I’m so sorry to hear this. But also, I’m very happy your brother found his voice with this website and brought joy to so many people with his writing.

  108. Merkin

    So very sad. With ToTD’s passing, it also feels a little bit like Jer and Pig died again. Because Rick brought them so vividly back to life, if only for a few moments. Just one of his many gifts to us.
    BoToTD, my deepest condolences to you and your family.

  109. saladman8283

    I am so sorry for your loss, and for our loss. I always looked forward to TOtD’s posts and very much enjoyed getting to know him via email and the occasional package of humanitarian aid sent to Florida. I also regret not stopping in to see him in the fall of 2019 when I was driving north and passed near his home.

    I hope that your good memories of Rick will bring you some peace and comfort during this difficult time.

  110. ediggy

    When I heard the news, I felt like I had lost a friend I never met. His talent can’t be matched. He had a brilliant mind and was so prolific. Gone too soon. I’m already feeling the hole. He touched so many lives with his writing.

    • ediggy

      I also want to extend my deepest sympathies to BoTD and your mother. You’ve been through a lot. Thanks for sharing with us.

  111. swaggie maggie

    I love you, Rick

  112. badumbadum

    Six months. It’s been six months. Lemieuxborghini is posting fucking cat pictures. There’s a goddamn Bar Mitzvah story from Jarnow. The fucking auction right now, and the Go To Heaven suits are missing. A day doesn’t go by where I don’t think about how much we’ve lost.

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