Jerome John Garcia, known as Jerry Garcia was an American musician. He was a founding member of the Grateful Dead and a renowned guitarist. He also was a singer and songwriter. His work with the band gained worldwide fame and success. The band toured extensively, and Garcia earned a substantial income as a result. He also had a successful solo career. He collaborated with numerous other musicians, including Tom Fogerty, Pete Sears, and Bruce Hornsby. He also had a career in the visual arts, and his paintings and etchings were displayed at Weir Gallery in San Francisco.

Garcia died in 1995 at a rehab clinic from a heart attack. He was 53 years old at the time of his death. His death was a shock to his family and bandmates. He had struggled with drug addiction, weight problems, sleep apnea, and diabetes. He was also a heavy smoker.

His estate was valued at around $15 million at the time of his death. However, much of that was in non-liquid assets like intellectual property, art, and guitars. Lawsuits against the estate were filed by former wives and other heirs. One of the largest claims was by Carolyn Adams, who was his second wife. She sued the estate for alimony, but settled for $1.2 million and a share in the "Cherry Garcia" trademark.

An estate planning attorney could have turned this complex estate into a cut-and-dry asset distribution process. This could have saved the heirs, family members, and friends a lot of grief and legal hassle.