The story has long been set in Rock & Roll lore: Ian Curtis, lead singer for Joy Division, hanged himself the day before the Manchester, England-based band was to embark on its first tour of America.  

Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart recently told Rolling Stone the band has long resisted offers to license its image to sell products, saying “You didn’t want to turn the Dead into a knickknack-trinket business.” But, he added, “Times and attitudes have changed.”