Peek into Jerry Garcia's past with this Stinson Beach real estate listing

The late Grateful Dead band leader Jerry Garcia used this Stinson Beach home as a family retreat in the 1970s. The late Grateful Dead band leader Jerry Garcia used this Stinson Beach home as a family retreat in the 1970s. Photo: Brian McCloud Photo: Brian McCloud Image 1 of / 55 Caption Close Peek into Jerry Garcia's past with this Stinson Beach real estate listing 1 / 55 Back to Gallery

The late Grateful Dead icon Jerry Garcia came upon a windfall of cash in the early 1970s when he received a $20,000 advance from Warner Bros. for a solo album.

Garcia and his wife at the time, Carolyn "Mountain Girl" Garcia, used the money to purchase a property perched high on a ridge overlooking Stinson Beach, just over the hill from the Grateful Dead office in San Rafael.

The home sat on a 1.1 acre lot, and it was the largest and best-located in the bucolic Marin County beach community. In Jerry Garcia: A Biography, author Jacqueline Edmondson writes, "Jerry later joked that "the solo album begins with the song 'Wheel' and ends with the song 'Deal' because he was wheeling and dealing to get a house."

The purchase price was $60,000, according to the Marin Independent Journal, and the home owners didn't want to sell to Jerry and his wife because they were hippies and part of the counterculture movement. But after the couple offered the asking price with 20 percent down, the owners were legally obligated to accept.

The storied Garcia aerie known as Sans Souci at 18 Ave. Farralone is now on the market for $4.35 million, that's 72 times more than what Jerry and Carolyn paid.

The current owner originally listed the property last June for $4.6 million, and, now, with a new listing agent, Jon DiRienzo of Paragon, the property has a lower price and refreshed staging that combines sophistication with laid-back style that's cheerful, colorful and reflective of one of the world's most well-loved rock stars who came to symbolize 1960s idealism.

"Sans Souci means without worries, and it really has that vibe when you walk in and orient to the ocean," DiRienzo said. "You feel like you're floating on the ocean. The gardens are lush. The butterflies are everywhere. It's a magical place. It would be an awesome place to spend time with family and Jerry really did enjoy it with his family."

The Garcias raised their young daughters in the home: Sunshine, from Carolyn's past relationship with Ken Kesey and the couples' two daughters Trixie and Annabelle. The family supposedly kept a black crow for a pet, and Carolyn grew pot. The children ran around at the beach, and Jerry spent a lot of time playing the banjo when he wasn't on the road, DiRienzo said.

During his time in Stinson, he met singer-songwriter Peter Rowan and mandolinist David Grisman. "They went up one day and jammed with Jerry in the cottage and they started the bluegrass band called Old and in the Way," DiRienzo said. "They played locally in Stinson Beach. This house is about Jerry playing the banjo, getting away from the pressures of being a rock star. It's more laid-back."

Many famous people visited over the years: Bob Dylan for a rehearsal, Annie Leibovitz for a photo shoot, and lots of fans of the Grateful Dead known as deadheads.

As the Grateful Dead fanbase grew, so did Jerry's fame and he spent more time away from home. Carolyn and Jerry's relationship became rocky and the couple sold the house in 1978, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

There's nary a recognizable trace of Captain Trips original decor as the home has been updated and remodeled over the years. The four-bedroom property spreads across 2,750 square feet with picture windows offering sweeping views of the coastline. The outside resort-style grounds include a black-bottom pool, a viewing deck and gardens flowering with poppies and hydrangeas.

One important artifact from Jerry's time in the home still remains: the door to his former creative space and music studio.

"You'll see in the photos, it's his original studio door that he had a person make," DiRienzo said. "It's an extremely thick door with dual paneled wood carvings and brass inlay — and it's stellar. It's the one keepsake on the property that is from his time there. And it's so Jerry."