He was an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist. He was also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation and an internet pioneer.∼Lyricist, author, internet pioneer. John Perry Barlow attended the same high school as future Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. The two remained friends and Weir tapped Barlow to write lyrics for several songs, including “Cassidy,” “Mexicali Blues,” and “Black-Throated Wind.” He also introduced the group to counter-culture psychologist and LSD advocate, Timothy Leary. During the 1980s he was active on the WELL, an early online community with a strong presence of Grateful Dead fans. He connected with John Gilmore and Mitch Kapor, and in 1990 they formed the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The non-profit organization continues to champion internet civil liberties against government overreach and private efforts to suppress online expression. For free-thinkers such as himself, he saw the Internet as the ultimate forum for the free exchange of ideas. In 1996 he published the essay, “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.” He was Fellow Emeritus at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where he had maintained an affiliation since 1998. Barlow died in his sleep of natural causes.
He was an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist. He was also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation and an internet pioneer.∼Lyricist, author, internet pioneer. John Perry Barlow attended the same high school as future Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. The two remained friends and Weir tapped Barlow to write lyrics for several songs, including “Cassidy,” “Mexicali Blues,” and “Black-Throated Wind.” He also introduced the group to counter-culture psychologist and LSD advocate, Timothy Leary. During the 1980s he was active on the WELL, an early online community with a strong presence of Grateful Dead fans. He connected with John Gilmore and Mitch Kapor, and in 1990 they formed the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The non-profit organization continues to champion internet civil liberties against government overreach and private efforts to suppress online expression. For free-thinkers such as himself, he saw the Internet as the ultimate forum for the free exchange of ideas. In 1996 he published the essay, “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.” He was Fellow Emeritus at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where he had maintained an affiliation since 1998. Barlow died in his sleep of natural causes.
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