Grateful Dead donate band archive

Mickey Hart (left) and Bob Weir made the announcement

The surviving members of rock band the Grateful Dead have agreed to donate memorabilia and archives to the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Band spokesman Dennis McNally said their correspondence would be handed over, but not their recordings.

Former guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart made the announcement at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium, where they played several shows.

The band formed in the 1960s and were famed for their live shows.

They largely retired from performing after founder Jerry Garcia died in 1995.

The Grateful Dead epitomised the 1960s California hippy scene. Their followers have long nicknamed them The Dead, and are themselves known as Deadheads.

The Grateful Dead had one of the most dedicated followings of the psychedelic rock scene.

Despite their massive following, they notched up only one top 10 hit in the US with Touch of Grey in 1987.