As the Grateful Dead prepare to bid you goodnight with one final Fare Thee Well show at Chicago’s Soldier Field Sunday night, President Barack Obama, a longtime Chicagoan, has paid tribute to the long-running jam legends with a message congratulating the group on their 50th anniversary and enduring legacy. Obama wrote, “Here’s to fifty years of the Grateful Dead, an iconic American band that embodies the creativity, passion and ability to bring people together that makes American music so great. Enjoy this weekend’s celebration of your fans and legacy. And as Jerry [Garcia] would say, ‘Let there be songs to fill the air.”
