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It was Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead guitarist and vocalist. At age four, while on a family camping holiday, Garcia injured his right middle finger during a wood-chopping accident. The detailed account establishes that he lost part of the finger, but does not say it was exactly half.
What happened to Jerry Garcia?
A University of East Anglia doctoral thesis recounts that Garcia and his brother Clifford, known as Tiff, were chopping wood during a family camping trip. Tiff swung the axe while Garcia steadied the wood; their timing was slightly off, and part of Garcia’s right middle finger was cut off. Garcia was four years old.
The injury was to his right hand, which he used for picking and strumming—not his fretting hand. The account does not quantify how much of the finger was lost, so “part of his right middle finger” is more precise than saying “half.” University of East Anglia doctoral thesis
Was it Tony Iommi?
No. Tony Iommi’s injury is a different story that can be confused with Garcia’s: Iommi lost fingertips in an industrial accident at a sheet-metal factory when he was 17. Taylor Guitars identifies the affected fingertips as those of his middle and ring fingers on his fretting hand. It was not a wood-chopping accident.
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| Guitarist | Accident and age | Injury and playing hand |
|---|---|---|
| Jerry Garcia | Wood-chopping accident on a family camping holiday, age four | Part of the right middle finger; picking and strumming hand |
| Tony Iommi | Sheet-metal factory accident, age 17 | Tips of the middle and ring fingers; fretting hand |
Iommi’s official biography describes the factory accident and says it happened the day before he planned to turn professional. Tony Iommi’s official biography Taylor Guitars describes which fingertips were affected. Taylor Guitars on Tony Iommi
Quick Recap
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- Complete Beginner Guitar Pack - Everything needed for starters is included, just unbox & play. The bundle includes Moukey 41” acoustic guitar, chord poster, 3mm padded gig bag, tuner, strap, capo, strings and picks. A decent gift for children, friends and family.
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