Part 3/10:
Problems escalated in 1969 when their manager, Lenny Hart, extended their Warner contract without consent, vanishing with a $75,000 advance and leaving the band even deeper in debt. By 1970, despite their growing popularity, The Dead found themselves still earning a meager $125 for entire week-long performances, while Warner Brothers pocketed most of the profits. This dire state spurred the band to escape their contractual bind, which they achieved in 1973 by establishing their own independent label, Grateful Dead Records.