Robert Hunter (lyricist)
Robert C. Christie Hunter (born Robert Burns; June 23, 1941 – September 23, 2019) was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator and poet, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead.[1][2] Born near San Luis Obispo, California, Hunter spent some time during his childhood in foster homes as a result of his father abandoning his family, and took refuge in reading and writing. He attended the University of Connecticut for a year before returning to Palo Alto, where he became friends with musician Jerry Garcia. Hunter and Garcia began a collaboration that lasted through the remainder of Garcia's life.
Robert Hunter
Robert Burns
June 23, 1941
Arroyo Grande, California, U.S.
September 23, 2019 (aged 78)
San Rafael, California, U.S.
- Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- poet
- translator
- Guitar
- vocals
- mandolin
1961–2019
- Relix Records
- Dark Star Records
- Round Records
Garcia and others formed the Grateful Dead in 1965, and later began working with lyrics from Hunter, whom Garcia invited to join the band as a lyricist. Hunter contributed substantially to many of their albums, beginning with Aoxomoxoa in 1969. He wrote lyrics to a number of the band's signature songs, including "Dark Star", "Ripple", "Truckin'", "China Cat Sunflower", and "Terrapin Station". Hunter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Grateful Dead in 1994, and is the only non-performer to be inducted as a member of a band.[3] Upon his death, Rolling Stone described him as "one of rock's most ambitious and dazzling lyricists".[1]
Awards and legacy[edit]
When the Grateful Dead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Hunter was included as a band member, the only non-performer to ever be so honored.[32][33] In 2013, Hunter received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association. He performed "Ripple" from the Grateful Dead's album American Beauty.[13][34] In 2015, Hunter and Garcia were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[5] Hunter accepted the award along with Garcia's daughter, Trixie Garcia, accepting on behalf of her father. Hunter once again performed "Ripple".[14][35][36] Hunter said his "pretty much" favorite line he wrote was in "Ripple": Let it be known there is a fountain that was not made by the hands of men. "And I believe it, you know?" he told Rolling Stone in 2015.[1][37]
According to the New York Times, Hunter's lyrics "helped define the Grateful Dead as a counterculture touchstone". Analyzing his lyrics became a popular exercise among the band's fans, something Hunter took pride in.[4] His approach to songwriting is described as "deeply literary", and responsible for differentiating the music of the Grateful Dead from mainstream popular music. The Los Angeles Times compared his lyrical aesthetic to that of Bob Dylan and Randy Newman, and wrote he was one of the few lyricists who "delved into the unique characteristics of the American psyche". Hunter was the only writer to collaborate extensively with Dylan. During the 2000s, Dylan said Hunter had "a way with words", and "we both write a different type of song than what passes today for songwriting."[14] Hunter was famously averse to explaining his lyrics and avoided interviews.[33]
Dennis McNally, author of a history of the Grateful Dead, said the band only "developed their potential for greatness" after they made Hunter their main lyricist. McNally writes that while Garcia was one of the "outstanding guitar players and songwriters of his generation", his lyrical abilities were minor. Many of the Grateful Dead's early lyrics were "superficial" and simple. From Hunter and Garcia's collaboration came many of the songs McNally calls the band's masterpieces, including "Ripple", "Brokedown Palace", and "Attics of My Life".[5] According to Rolling Stone, "[considered] one of rock's most ambitious and dazzling lyricists, Hunter was the literary counterpoint to the band’s musical experimentation",[1] and his lyrics were "as much a part of the band as Jerry Garcia's singing and guitar."[1]
Personal life and death[edit]
Hunter married artist Maureen Hunter in 1982,[1] and they had three children.[4] One of these children, a son, died in the late 80s, as "Touch Of Grey" was gaining popularity. His youngest child, was born in 1991.[38] Although an early member of the Church of Scientology, by 1999, Hunter no longer belonged to the organization.[39] In 2013, he was compelled to go on a solo tour as a result of medical bills, after surviving a spinal cord abscess in the previous year. Hunter died at his home in San Rafael, California on September 23, 2019. He had recent surgery before his death.[1][4] Upon hearing news of his demise, tributes and remembrances were shared from his former bandmates Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Phil Lesh, alongside other musicians Jim Lauderdale, Trey Anastasio, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Warren Haynes.[40][41]
