After a three-year hiatus following a serious vocal cord injury, Sturgill Simpson has made a triumphant comeback with his new album Passage du Desir (released under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies) and his ongoing Why Not? Tour. According to the Kentucky-born singer-songwriter, it wasn’t just time or physical healing that led him back into the spotlight—it was the spirit of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.
In a recent interview with the London-based Uncut magazine, Simpson opened up about how his participation in the inaugural Dead Ahead Festival earlier this year reignited his passion for music. The festival, held in Mexico and featuring Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, invited Simpson to play guitar alongside these Grateful Dead alumni. The event marked one of his first live performances since his 2021 departure from the stage.
“I wasn’t doing anything, and I was asked, did I want to go to Mexico for a couple of days and play guitar for the Grateful Dead?” Simpson said. “I wasn’t really familiar with them, because in my early twenties in Kentucky there was a jam band scene which I dismissed as unstructured noodling, and I lumped the Dead into that.”
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His initial skepticism was shattered the moment Simpson dove into the music. When Weir sent him a setlist of 60 Grateful Dead songs to learn for the event, something clicked. “Why is this so easy?” Simpson asked himself. “It’s almost like I could anticipate where Jerry was going. And it was because Jerry played folk, country, bluegrass and blues, the same way I play guitar!”
“He is now my favourite guitar player,” Simpson admitted. That realization opened the door to a creative rebirth. It wasn’t just about playing music again—it was about rediscovering why music mattered to him in the first place.
Simpson’s sets with the Dead Ahead Band, as well as guest spots with Wolf Bros and Orebolo, didn’t just reignite his love for performing—it helped him confront the personal darkness that had enveloped him in the years leading up to the festival. After his injury, Simpson had fallen into a deep depression, abandoning music altogether. “Jerry Garcia, I hate to say it, might have saved my life,” he confessed, crediting the late guitarist with pulling him out of the void.
The magic of Mexico lingered long after Simpson returned home. “All I could think about was playing guitar for 10 hours a day again,” he said. “I called my booking agent and said, ‘I wanna go on tour.’” And just like that, he was back, armed with a new album and a renewed sense of purpose. The Why Not? Tour kicked off to packed houses, offering fans a glimpse of Simpson’s reinvigorated artistry.
After the success of last year’s festival, Simpson has already signed on for Dead Ahead 2025, where he’ll once again take the stage with Weir, Rick Mitarotonda, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Don Was, and Jay Lane in Riviera Cancun. The January event will feature three performances with the Dead Ahead Band, plus a special solo set from Simpson himself.
For fans and newcomers alike, Sturgill Simpson’s return isn’t just a comeback—it’s a testament to the enduring power of music to heal and inspire. Jerry Garcia may have left us decades ago, but his influence continues to spark creative fires in artists like Simpson, helping them find their way back to the stage and to themselves.
Catch Sturgill Simpson on his Why Not? Tour as he snakes his way around North America before heading to Europe following Dead Ahead 2025. For a full list of tour dates and to purchase tickets, head here.
[h/t JamBase]
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