Draft:Jacklyn LaBranch

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  • Comment: Interviews are primary sources, and not necessarily reliable. DoubleGrazing (talk) 13:31, 17 September 2025 (UTC)


Jacklyn "Jackie" LaBranch

[edit]
  • Comment: Interviews are primary sources, and not necessarily reliable. DoubleGrazing (talk) 13:31, 17 September 2025 (UTC)

Jacklyn "Jackie" LaBranch

[edit]

Jacklyn "Jackie" LaBranch is a singer best known for her role as a Backing vocalist for the Jerry Garcia Band (JGB) from 1983-1995, making her the third longest tenured member of the band.[1][2][3][4]

Early Life

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LaBranch grew in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco before the arrival of the Hippie Culture in the area. As a child, she would see groups playing Psychedelic rock in the Panhandle (San Francisco), "but we didn't pay attention to who they were."[5]

Musical Career

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LaBranch sung and played piano in community and church choirs.[6][7] It was in the studio with the choir that LaBranch met Melvin Seals, the keyboardist for JGB. In 1982, Jerry Garcia had asked Seals to recruit new background vocalists for the Jerry Garcia Band and after narrowing the search from Broadway-style vocalists to gospel singers, Seals asked LaBranch if she was interested in joining the band.[8][9]

In late 1982 and early 1983, LaBranch and Dee Dee Dickerson began rehearsing with the Jerry Garcia Band and performed live for the first time at Keystone (Berkeley, California) on January 13, 1983.

In 1984, vocalist Gloria Jones replaced Dickerson in the Jerry Garcia Band and LaBranch was responsible for reaching her the many songs covered by the band.[10]

Throughout her time in the Jerry Garcia Band, LaBranch kept her day job as a computer analyst and went back to school, earning multiple degrees.[11]

Following the passing of Jerry Garcia in 1995, LaBranch continued to perform with various musical groups related to the broader Grateful Dead scene, including singing with Melvin Seal's band JGB (band) and a 2005 performance at the Comes A Time tribute with Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Bruce Hornsby, Donna Jean Godchaux, and Gloria Jones.[12][13]

In 2015, LaBranch toured with the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration covering songs played by both the JGB and the Grateful Dead.[14]

Discography

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LaBranch performed at nearly every Jerry Garcia Band performance from 1983 - 1995, including on many shows that have been released as live albums.[15]

  1. ^ Scott, John W.; Dolgushkin, Mike; Nixon, Stu (1999). DeadBase XI: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists. Deadbase. ISBN 1-877657-22-0.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Jerry Garcia Band – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  3. ^ Band Members, archived from the original on April 13, 2003, retrieved October 20, 2016
  4. ^ "Jerry Garcia Band". Jerry Garcia. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  5. ^ robslater (2016-10-17). "Deadicated: Jerry Garcia Band's Jacklyn LaBranch". Relix Media. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  6. ^ robslater (2016-10-17). "Deadicated: Jerry Garcia Band's Jacklyn LaBranch". Relix Media. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  7. ^ "Interview: Jacklyn LaBranch Discusses Performing With Jerry Garcia Band & More". JamBase. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  8. ^ dean (2022-08-05). "Melvin Seals and Jacklyn LaBranch on Jerry Garcia's "Magic Band"". Relix Media. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  9. ^ Jackson, Blair (1999). Garcia: An American Life. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-029199-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  10. ^ "Interview: Jacklyn LaBranch Discusses Performing With Jerry Garcia Band & More". JamBase. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  11. ^ "Interview: Jacklyn LaBranch Discusses Performing With Jerry Garcia Band & More". JamBase. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  12. ^ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  13. ^ Shulimson, Scott (October 10, 2005). "Comes A Time: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia, Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA- 9/24". jambands.com. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  14. ^ robslater (2016-10-17). "Deadicated: Jerry Garcia Band's Jacklyn LaBranch". Relix Media. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  15. ^ "Jerry Garcia". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-09-22.