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But that's where a small crowd gathered to honor him today -- on a street corner near the house where he spent his early childhood.
Joined by the late musician's daughter, Trixie Garcia, city officials unveiled a sidewalk plaque with his likeness on Mission and Amazon streets.
Trixie said her father would have appreciated the location in what's still a working class neighborhood.
"This has always been the hardest working neighborhood in San Francisco," Trixie told ABC7 News. "There's a lot of pride and a lot of family roots from all different cultures."
The plaque is inscribed with a quote from Garcia about the Grateful Dead's mission. "What we're trying to do is expand rather than narrow."