BIO

I came to San Francisco in 1951 as a five-year-old French immigrant who spoke no English. By the time I moved in with Phil Lesh and the Grateful Dead in early 1966, I’d already been documenting my life in photos for years – my life with the Dead now moved into my viewfinder.

After Phil and I parted as a couple, I stayed within the Dead’s core family as the band’s friend, travel agent, and French interpreter; and when moved to do so, I danced onstage.

In my first self-published book, Dancing with the Dead—A Photographic Memoir, I tell ten years’ worth of stories—illustrated by 200 of my photos—of living, traveling, and working with the Dead during their first decade as a band. This book is available in print, as an e-book, and as a downloadable audiobook via the link here on this website.

My second book, My Grateful Dead Photos and How I Came to Take Them, 1966-1991, expands the timespan from 10 years to 25 years and prominently features the photos themselves, with only enough text to introduce the chapters. The full-color, hardbound, “coffee table book”, also published by my own TIOLI Press & Bytes, includes many photos that have never been seen, making up 40% of the book’s nearly 400 photos. It was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign held in October 2021, during which over 1,000 copies were preordered.

Again, due to popular demand, I ordered a second printing of the First Edition, and they sold out in August of 2024. There won’t be a third printing that I know of. Thank you.

These days, I manage my business from my home in Oregon; fielding requests for photo licensing, selling prints through my online sales gallery, booking speaking engagements and vending opportunities, and handling other business matters.

As I’ve done since I was 12 years old, I continue to document my life in photos—whether of people, scenic wonders, or anything else that happens to catch my eye. Some of my landscape and flower photographs are available at my online gallery for viewing and the purchase of prints, alongside my Grateful Dead photos, via the links on this website.

Contact: rosiemcgee12@gmail.com. Regrettably, the direct-email link app caused more problems than it was worth, so I ask that you simply copy the address to your preferred email app. Thank you.