Dick Latvala
(1943-1999)
Dick Latvala, the Grateful Dead's
official archivist and creator of the
Dick's Picks album series, has died.

The 56-year-old Latvala suffered
a heart attack on August 4, 1999,
and lapsed into a coma before
passing away two days later.

 

Latvala was an active collector of live tapes of the Dead throughout the '60s and '70s, and was hired by the band as its archivist in the early '80s.

In 1993, the first Dick's Picks album was released,
and since then, an additional 13 Picks albums,
comprised of live recordings selected by Latvala,
have been put together.

Latvala had a reputation for being approachable by fans, and acted as a resource for them, via
the band's official Web site (www.dead.net).

Memorial At The Official Dead Site