Jerry Garcia’s estate has partnered with the AI voice company ElevenLabs to recreate the voice of the late Grateful Dead singer. Garcia’s AI-recreated voice has been added to the Iconic Listening Experience on the ElevenReader app, and now music fans can hear the musician’s voice read books, articles, poetry, and more in 32 different languages. ElevenLabs previously created AI voice models for Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds, and Sir Laurence Olivier. According to a company spokesperson, ElevenLabs worked “in close collaboration with the Jerry Garcia Estate to ensure that the reproduction of Garcia’s voice was as authentic and true to his legacy as possible.” Keelin Garcia, daughter of Jerry and VP of the Jerry Garcia Foundation, says: “My father was a pioneering artist, who embraced innovative audio and visual technologies. Now, as technological landscapes continue to expand, ElevenLabs AI Audio technology will offer fans the first opportunity to hear and stream a replica of my father’s voice reading their favorite books and other written content.” (Billboard)
