5 Things You Didn’t Know About Songwriter John Perry Barlow

Have you ever heard of songwriter John Perry Barlow?

He not only co-wrote Grateful Dead songs, he co-founded an organization to protect the internet, is vice president of Algae Systems, is a retired cattle rancher and is the son of a former Wyoming legislator.

John Perry Barlow grew up on the Bar Cross Ranch near Pinedale, Wyoming, the son of Norman Barlow, a Sublette County Legislator. He met Bob Weir while attending school in Colorado. Here are a few things you may not know about Mr. Barlow.

5. In 1990, Barlow coined the phrase 'Cyberspace.' Previously it was a science fiction term used by writer William Gibson. It was applied to the already existing global electronic social space. Before it was named, it was not considered any sort of place.

4. Barlow co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Along with Mitchell Kapor he came up with the organization which promotes freedom of expression in digital media.

3. John Perry Barlow is Vice President of Algae Systems. They are a Nevada-based company that has built a working demo-scale pilot plant in Alabama. Algae Systems is dedicated to commercializing novel methods of growing algae offshore for use as a biofuel.

2. He operated the Bar Cross Land & Livestock Co. from 1971 to 1988. Barlow returned to where he grew up to raise cattle in Cora, Wyoming. (Among the ranch hands who worked on the ranch were John F. Kennedy, Jr.)

1. Barlow co-wrote songs with several members of the Grateful Dead from 1971-1995; Bob Weir, Brent Mydland and Vince Welnick. Here's a partial list of their compositions: