I
In 1978, I was working at a TV station in Klamath Falls, Ore. that had three other Deadheads working there. We weren’t able to get tickets for New Year’s, so we came up with the idea of sending Bill Graham a videotape request using the Dead’s Saturday Night Live performance of I Need a Miracle> Good Lovin’. We added some effects to it and sent it off. The next day there was an article in the San Francisco newspaper that said there were absolutely no tickets available. Needless to say, we were disappointed.
When Jan Simmons from Bill Graham’s office first called the station, she told me there had been many hundreds of requests, but said Bill thought ours was one of the best. She then told me we could have as many guest-passes as we needed and to call her back with the list of names. This turned out to be one of the best shows and experience of my 27 years of attending Grateful Dead shows.
This turned out to be one of the best shows and experience of my 27 years of attending Grateful Dead shows.
The trips down and back were pretty uneventful. As for the show, all I can say it was mind expanding. During the break between New Riders and Blues Brothers, I ran into Bill Graham as I was going into the bar. I said “thanks,” he said “uh huh” as he rushed by. I told him I was one of the people who sent the videotape from Oregon. He stopped, came over and shook my hand, and told me I was welcome. He also said he hoped I would enjoy the show. Boy, did I.
R.J. Lee
~ R.J. Lee
