Billy Strings, John Mayer, My Morning Jacket & More Honor Grateful Dead At MusiCares Persons of the Year Gala

Bruce Hornsby, Sierra Ferrell, The War On Drugs and Maren Morris were also among the all-star participants.

By Andy Kahn Feb 3, 2025 9:32 am PST

The Grateful Dead was honored on Friday night at the MusiCares Persons Of The Year benefit gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center. My Morning Jacket, Billy Strings, John Mayer and many others performed at the all-star tribute event.

Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart attended and in addition to giving speeches, performed with Mayer and Dead & Company at the end of the show. Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann recorded a video that was part of the presentation. Bassist Phil Lesh was also named as an honoree before his death at age 84 last October.

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Celebrity Deadhead Andy Cohen hosted the Grammys Week gala, which also featured appearances by actor Woody Harrelson and comedian Bert Kreischer. The house band was composed of Jeff Chimenti, Benmont Tench, Greg Leisz, Rick Mitarotonda, Kendrick Scott, Terence Higgins, musical director (and Weir’s Wolf Bros. bandmate) Don Was and Phil Lesh’s son Grahame Lesh.

Dead & Co. closed out the night with Grateful Dead classics “Althea,” “Sugar Magnolia” and with the other performers returning to the stage, “Touch of Grey.” Earlier in the evening, Mayer performed an acoustic rendition of “Terrapin Station” with Was and Dead & Co. keyboardist Chimenti.

My Morning Jacket was joined by Maggie Rose for “One More Saturday Night.” Billy Strings, who has performed with Weir and Kreutzmann but rarely covers the Grateful Dead these days, lead the house band on “Wharf Rat.”

Here’s a rundown of the MusiCares Persons of the Year Gala performances:

The War and Treaty with Mick Fleetwood with Stewart Copeland – Samson & Delilah

My Morning Jacket & Maggie Rose – One More Saturday Night

Norah Jones – Ripple

Zac Brown & Marcus King – Bertha

Wynonna Judd – Ramble On Rose

Noah Kahan & Béla Fleck – Friend Of The Devil

Vampire Weekend – Scarlet Begonias

Dwight Yoakam – Truckin’

Maren Morris – They Love Each Other

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Sierra Ferrell & Lukas Nelson – It Must Have Been The Roses

Billy Strings – Wharf Rat

Sammy Hagar – Loose Lucy

Bruce Hornsby & Rick Mitarotonda – Standing On The Moon

The War On Drugs with Grahame Lesh – Box Of Rain

John Mayer with Don Was & Jeff Chimenti – Terrapin Station

Dead & Company – Althea

Dead & Company – Touch of Grey

Speeches

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