Owsley "Bear" Stanley aka Augustus Owsley Stanley III

1960's icon -- via the New York Daily News. He did so much to enable the era to happen -- he was the first to manufacture LSD in large quantities. He was an innovative and masterful sound engineer, working primarily with the Grateful Dead.

He designed the Dead's Lightning Bolt Skull logo.

He inspired the "Dancing Bear" symbols commonly associated with the band. (Indeed, he created the freeform, flailing "dead dance" still seen at many concerts.)

He initiated the practice of taping Dead shows (as well as taping many other bands of the era -- many tapes are still unreleased). The band Blue Cheer was named after one of his hallucinogenic products. The Steeley Dan song "Kid Charlemagne" was inspired in part by his exploits.

He was a consciousness expander, and a lover of good music. Thank you, Bear!