Grateful But Not Dead Black and White

Grateful but not Dead is the living testament of Jerry Hart. This story bridges the legacy of his father, Lenny (a former and controversial manager of the Grateful Dead) and his half-brother (and legendary drummer/artist) Mickey whilst on his quest to understand these two powerful men who are interwoven in the historic fabric of the most revolutionary rock band in American history. Deadheads know parts of the story well from news articles and band history. This is a different perspective from the other side of the rainbow! GBND is the Untold Story of a rock and roll family and its impact on Jerry, the son of a controversial manager and half-brother of drummer Mickey Hart. Business lessons are sprinkled across the pile of pages including the phrase Mr. Hart has coined "Meltdowns to Miracles; a process you must not resist, ever". The consequences of failing to resist the delusional meltdown breeds paralyzing fear that deflates our self image. Hart describes the deep introspective experience of sorting through a long and sometimes confusing family history of high achievers. "Whether it be skirting the fringes of financial ruin, management nightmares, relationship breakdowns or other pitfalls of life as a businessperson, it's important to know exactly where you are" says Jerry. "I am the essence of my father's entrepreneurial creative flame that enabled him to build his ventures on strong ethics. My dad misused his passion flame for opportunity with carelessness and often burned down those he could have built up". Hart introduces his reader to Lenny's alternate reality that's designed to stoke the reader to question their own reality. While his father lived in his lies, Hart lives in one simple truth; "your reality of any issue is always less chaotic than the story people have made up about the problem. Solutions are in closer reach than we believe. The catastrophic, panicky stories soon become the problem" Jerry says. "My father also lived this truth with the skills to generate his alternate facts and reality". A man driven! Lenny Hart stopped at nothing to get what he wanted and believed his lies were truths! From the bustling climate of 1919 Brooklyn to the packed concert halls in '69 of Grateful Dead concerts around the U.S., Lenny reinvented himself on every level possible. A teacher, preacher, business entrepreneur, rock and roll manager, national drumming champion, Lenny was all of these and more. With natural charisma and an uncanny ability to charm almost anyone, the sinister side of Lenny eventually emerged causing conflict and strife for this overachiever and anyone he encountered. Would his checkered past catch up with him or could he swindle his way to fortune and fame one more time? Jerry, in his own words, explains both the genesis of the project and the reason why he wrote GBND; "Grateful But Not Dead began as a series of conversations that resurrected my mother's repressed thoughts and memories of my father Lenny Hart. As we explored this compelling history, a clear pattern emerged from a series of notes I took in these deep and often painful discussions. Clearing up the fog of this history is both liberating and downright scary!"