This may be a side note, but a word about the vices -I believe it was the type II diabetes that killed him. I have said this before in other threads; yes, the weight, milk shakes, cigarettes, and smack didn't do his body good; however, when you combine that with Type II, it is a time-bomb. Even his playing in the 90's was more a product of his Type II than any drug he may have been on. For those with diabetes (type I or II) or for those that know someone with diabetes, you know that neuropathy (loss of feeling in one's fingers, toes, and other body parts) is a byproduct of uncontrolled diabetes. And as Jerry's doc says in I believe Phil's book, Jerry's blood sugar was 500 the day he left on Spring Tour '92. For those who don't know, good blood sugar control means a reading of between 80 and 120 - so Jerry's blood sugar was 5 times what it should have been. With that number, it is easy to see why the quality of his lead playing went down and why, ultimately, he died of a heart attack (high blood sugars over time constrict blood vessels).
All this being said, if I could be "mad" at Jerry it wouldn't be for the drug use or for the weight, it would be for not managing his type II diabetes. As a person with Type I diabetes, I know that diabetes is not fun, but it is also a chronic, yet "manageable" condition. Truth be told, I have never been "mad" at Jerry - he made his choices like you and me; however, knowing what I know about diabetes and knowing that there are steps one can take to manage diabetes, I still think about what could have been with just slightly different choices.
With all that, I still thank the powers that be for bringing me in contact with his music and legacy.
