Carolyn Adams
Encyclopedia
Carolyn Elizabeth Garcia (born Carolyn Elizabeth Adams on May 6, 1946), also known as Mountain Girl, is a former Merry Prankster
and wife of the late Jerry Garcia
.
She was born and grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York
, and travelled to Palo Alto, California
in 1963 with her older brother Don shortly after she was expelled from high school. In early 1964, Garcia met Neal Cassady
, who introduced her to Ken Kesey
and his friends, one of whom gave her the name "Mountain Girl". Cassady took her to La Honda, California
, Kesey's base of operations, where she quickly joined the inner circle of Pranksters and became romantically involved with Kesey, having a daughter by him named Sunshine. The Grateful Dead
song "Here Comes Sunshine" may or may not be an allusion to Garcia's and Kesey's daughter – the Dead were fond of lyrics having double, often personal meanings. When Kesey was a fugitive, Garcia had a relationship with another Prankster named George Walker who would become her husband in 1966. The marriage between Garcia and Walker did not last long and they separated in December 1966 and were divorced in 1978. She took up with Jerry Garcia after splitting with Walker, but they did not marry for many years after.
Before marrying Jerry Garcia
in 1981, they had two daughters. The family had a house in San Rafael, California
as well as a beach house in Stinson Beach, California
, but separated after Garcia began a relationship with Deborah Koons. Jerry and Carolyn Garcia divorced in 1984, but remained friends until his death the following decade. After the divorce, he married Deborah Koons. He died 18 months later.
After Jerry Garcia's death, Carolyn Garcia was involved in litigation to obtain payments as per their divorce settlement agreement, ultimately agreeing to a $1,250,000 settlement to avoid further legal costs.
Garcia wrote a book on marijuana
cultivation, called Primo Plant: Growing Sinsemilla Marijuana, first published in 1976 by Bookpeople
. Garcia currently sits on the boards of the Rex Foundation
, the Furthur Foundation, and the Women's Visionary Council, and is on the advisory board of the Marijuana Policy Project
. Garcia lives near her daughter Annabelle and the Kesey family farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon
.
Merry Pranksters
The Merry Pranksters were a group of people who formed around American author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his homes in California and Oregon...
and wife of the late Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
.
She was born and grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
, and travelled to Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
in 1963 with her older brother Don shortly after she was expelled from high school. In early 1964, Garcia met Neal Cassady
Neal Cassady
Neal Leon Cassady was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road....
, who introduced her to Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey
Kenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
and his friends, one of whom gave her the name "Mountain Girl". Cassady took her to La Honda, California
La Honda, California
La Honda is a census-designated place in southern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 928 at the 2010 census. It is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains between Silicon Valley and the Pacific coast of California...
, Kesey's base of operations, where she quickly joined the inner circle of Pranksters and became romantically involved with Kesey, having a daughter by him named Sunshine. The Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
song "Here Comes Sunshine" may or may not be an allusion to Garcia's and Kesey's daughter – the Dead were fond of lyrics having double, often personal meanings. When Kesey was a fugitive, Garcia had a relationship with another Prankster named George Walker who would become her husband in 1966. The marriage between Garcia and Walker did not last long and they separated in December 1966 and were divorced in 1978. She took up with Jerry Garcia after splitting with Walker, but they did not marry for many years after.
Before marrying Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
in 1981, they had two daughters. The family had a house in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
as well as a beach house in Stinson Beach, California
Stinson Beach, California
Stinson Beach is a census-designated place in Marin County, California, on the west coast of the United States. Stinson Beach is located east-southeast of Bolinas, at an elevation of 26 feet . The population of the Stinson Beach CDP was 632 at the 2010 census.Stinson Beach is about a 35-minute...
, but separated after Garcia began a relationship with Deborah Koons. Jerry and Carolyn Garcia divorced in 1984, but remained friends until his death the following decade. After the divorce, he married Deborah Koons. He died 18 months later.
After Jerry Garcia's death, Carolyn Garcia was involved in litigation to obtain payments as per their divorce settlement agreement, ultimately agreeing to a $1,250,000 settlement to avoid further legal costs.
Garcia wrote a book on marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
cultivation, called Primo Plant: Growing Sinsemilla Marijuana, first published in 1976 by Bookpeople
Bookpeople (distributor)
Bookpeople was an employee-owned and operated book wholesaler and distributor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It operated from 1969-2003. Bookpeople was one of the major forces behind the renaissance of independent publishing that occurred during this period. The business provided a wide range...
. Garcia currently sits on the boards of the Rex Foundation
Rex Foundation
The Rex Foundation was created by "members of the Grateful Dead and Friends" in 1983 as a charitable non-profit organization to "proactively provide extensive community support to creative endeavors in the arts, sciences, and education." The organization is named after Rex Jackson, a Grateful Dead...
, the Furthur Foundation, and the Women's Visionary Council, and is on the advisory board of the Marijuana Policy Project
Marijuana Policy Project
The Marijuana Policy Project, or MPP, is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States in terms of its budget, number of members, and staff...
. Garcia lives near her daughter Annabelle and the Kesey family farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon
Pleasant Hill, Oregon
Pleasant Hill is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of July 2007, Pleasant Hill has a total population of 5,665.- History :...
.
Furthur reading
- Jackson, Blair. (1999). Garcia: An American Life. New York, Viking. ISBN 0670886602. A biography of Jerry Garcia, which also has information about Carolyn Garcia.
- Wolfe, Tom. (1968). The Electric Kool-Aid Acid TestThe Electric Kool-Aid Acid TestThe Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a work of literary journalism by Tom Wolfe, published in 1968. Using techniques from the genre of hysterical realism and pioneering new journalism, the "nonfiction novel" tells the story of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters...
. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0553380644 Describes the early years of Garcia's relationship with Kesey and adventures with the Merry Pranksters.