>>520516207
>made a mess of his life
He lived a good enough life and contributed much, inspired many through his art.
the Dead were never supposed to become superstars; even in their 1960s-70s prime they did not enjoy mass commercial success or vast fame/wealth in comparison to other fame rockstars-bands. It was only after the band's mid-1980s 'revival' (after 1987 release of In The Dark) that things really began to spiral out of control with JG's substance abuse, body mass, and personal life.
Point being that the Dead were not supposed, ever, to be a pop culture phenomenon. Demands of that and placement therein the entertainment industry sector were what really pushed JG to extremes and placed severe demands on him to 'live up to', fulfil a cliche image/role (that never should have existed to begin with) in the mass public eye. He just wanted to play and share music he loved with friends (witness all of the non-Dead music projects from early 70s onward)