Latest news with #TheyLoveEachOther
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mystery as man, 54, drops dead while dancing at favourite band's concert
Tributes have been paid to a 54-year-old man from Michigan who died suddenly while attending a 60th anniversary Grateful Dead show with his partner Thousands of Grateful Dead fans were left in shock after a fan dropped dead at the band's 60th anniversary show. Fred Cothard was with his girlfriend and was grooving to the track They Love Each Other when tragedy struck in San Francisco on Sunday night. The 54-year-old carpenter from Michigan was with his partner, Jody Leddy, enjoying a long-planned trip to the city, which they had booked before the concerts were even announced. But in a heartbreaking twist, the evening turned to tragedy as Fred suddenly fell to the floor. It comes after a dad's desperate phone call moments before an explosion kills him and his daughters. Jody later shared an emotional tribute online, saying: 'Fred Cothard was and is my love. I am blessed and honoured to have been there with him every moment yesterday before, during and after his passing. I was holding him, talking to him about his kids, and kissing him until hours after the doctor pronounced him, until I got in touch with his daughter.' Mr Cothard's cause of death remains a mystery for his loved ones, with it currently being registered as unconfirmed. One witness claims she saw frantic scenes as fans waved for help, saying: 'Then I looked down about 15 feet behind me and saw a lifeless man receiving chest compressions." Fred's sudden passing sent shockwaves through the Deadhead community, with messages of love and support flooding in from across the world. Tina Nash Cothard said the 'love and light we have received from the Dead family has truly helped us navigate this difficult time.' Fred's children, Sadie and Sawyer, have launched a GoFundMe to help bring their dad home and give him the send-off he deserves, writing: 'Our dad, Fred, was an incredible father and friend to all. His love for us was endless — but his love for the Grateful Dead and their community was almost as strong.' Fred had introduced his children to the band's music in 2016, and even as youngsters, they were welcomed into the 'Dead family' with open arms. His stepson also paid tribute: 'I like to think Jerry Garcia played you into the afterlife.' Fred's obituary described him as a man whose 'greatest love was exploring with his children' and travelling the country to see his favourite band.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Grateful Dead fan dies during 60th anniversary show in San Francisco
A Michigan man died Sunday during Dead & Company's final concert in Golden Gate Park, and his family has launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral and travel costs. Fred Cothard, 54, collapsed while dancing during the band's set on the third night of their 60th anniversary run, according to his family. His partner, Jody Leddy, said in a Facebook post Wednesday that they were listening to the band perform 'They Love Each Other' when he fell. 'I was holding him, talking to him about his kids, and kissing him until hours after the doctor pronounced him,' Leddy wrote. 'This is the last photo of us, about two hours before he collapsed.' No cause of death was provided. Another Planet Entertainment, the event's promoter, referred questions to the San Francisco Police Department. 'Our thoughts are with the individual's family and loved ones,' a spokesperson for the Berkeley-based company said in a statement. Another Planet also produces the Outside Lands festival. Cothard, a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, had traveled to San Francisco with Leddy for the shows, which drew 60,000 fans nightly. The concerts marked the band's 60th anniversary and what would have been Jerry Garcia's 83rd birthday. The event featured different setlists each night and guest appearances by Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson and Trey Anastasio. Cothard's children, 23-year-old twins Sadie and Sawyer, started a GoFundMe campaign to help bring their father's remains back to Constantine, Michigan, and cover funeral costs. 'Our dad was an incredible father and friend to all,' Sadie Cothard wrote on the fundraising page. 'Even though this was sudden and we were not there with him, we take comfort in knowing that he was surrounded by thousands of his Dead family, and the music that he loved so much.'
