Listen to the band:

Entrepreneur, June, 1999 by Sam Hill, Glenn Rifkin

Burbank says that new products keep the Dead in a growth mode. He points out that long-defunct acts like Jimi Hendrix or the Doors continue to be among the most popular in merchandising circles. "Hendrix only toured for four or five years before he died," Burbank says. "The Grateful Dead have touched millions of people, and there are 14-year-old kids who now think the Dead are a cool thing. That train has been rolling for 30 years. It's not coming to an abrupt halt."

Sam Hill, co-founder of Helios Consulting Group, has almost 20 years of experience working on marketing issues. Business journalist Glenn Rifkin has written extensively for The New York Times and contributes to many business publications.