Grateful Dead superfan dies while dancing at Dead and Company show in San Francisco
A Grateful Dead superfan died while dancing at Dead and Company’s 60th-anniversary show at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park last weekend, it has emerged.
The man has been identified as Fred Cothard, who was in attendance alongside fellow superfan Jody Leddy. Following his passing, Leddy revealed on social media that Cothard collapsed while they were dancing to ‘They Love Each Other’.
In a statement on social media, Leddy shared, “Fred Cothard was & is my love. We spent the last 10 days together, professed our love for each other & traveled to SF together which we had planned & booked even before the shows had been announced. I am blessed & honoured to have been there with him every moment yesterday before, during & after his passing. I was holding him, talking to him about his kids, & kissing him until hours after the doctor pronounced him, until I got in touch with his daughter.”
She also shared the final image of them together, which was taken only two hours “before he collapsed while we were dancing to ‘They Love Each Other'”.
Furthermore, a GoFundMe page has been set up in his memory by his daughter, which has already raised over $36,000 for his family despite only targeting to raise $25,000.
His daughter wrote on GoFundMe: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sudden passing of our father, Fred Cothard – a beloved father, son, friend, business owner, and true member of the Grateful Dead community.”
She emotionally continued: “Our dad, Fred, was an incredible father and friend to all. Whether you knew Fred well or only encountered him briefly chances are he made a lasting impression. The one thing we know for sure about our dad is that his love for us was endless, but his love for the Grateful Dead, and the Grateful Dead community meant almost as much as his love for us.”
Sadie also explained how her father took her and her twin brother to their first Grateful Dead shows in 2016, noting, “Even as young children we were welcomed into the Dead family with open arms.”
The money being raised will go towards bringing their father’s remains home, covering funeral costs as well as immediate household bills. To donate, visit here.
Tragically, also last weekend, Oasis fan Lee Claydon died while at Wembley Stadium. His brother has since launched a GoFundMe that has raised more than £21,000 to help Claydon’s family. Following the shock news, Oasis paid tribute to Claydon, writing, “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan at the show last night. Oasis would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.”
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