On March 8, 1973, a month after he put down that songone of a number of tunes hed been writing for a solo album that was never to be on tape, Ron Pigpen McKernan got up and out of that same bed, walked a few feet and died. He died on March 8, 1973. of internal hemorrhaging caused by his drinking. The 40s also brought us the Slinky, Velcro, Jeep, Tupperware and Frisbee. His love for gospel and blues led him to be one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead. Chapter 8, Dancing with the Dead A Photographic Memoir, Taking a break during sound check at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He played music, followed his diet, and hoped against all hope that something would turn . As the Dead became more and more comfortable with original material, and the Garcia/Weir tandem became more comfortable as vocalists, room for Pigpen became more and more scarce. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (second from left) as part of the Grateful Dead in 1970. "When weather permitted, we pulled together wonderful free concerts in the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park. He was a wise-ass and a showman in a band that purposely practiced anti-show biz attitudes. Talking of gypsy women and the touch of the mojo hand, Pigpen was well within his element communicating words that would have sounded ridiculous coming from anyone else. #woodstock #filmore #thegratefuldead #pigpen #crimestory #crime #hollywoodcrime #janisjoplin #mutenews #immortal . Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan's 12 greatest songs: . The ironic thing was that he hated it it really meant nothing to him; it wasn't what he liked." Although Pigpens thing was the blues, his was never the blues of death and loneliness, but the blues of whisky and women. As a youth, he taught himself blues piano and developed a biker image. While the other members of the Dead dove head-first into psychedelics, Pigpen mostly abstained, preferring alcohol to any other vice. What to do? Games, Long Then, they changed their minds, and came back heavier than ever. McGee's connection with the Dead goes back many years. Jerry Garcia might have become their de facto leader in everything but name, but without Pigpens insistence on creating a group, the worlds most beloved jam band would not exist. Quoth wiki: He was initially nicknamed "Blue Ron" before settling on "Pigpen". It was only a couple of blocks to the store but it always took a long time to get there and back, stopping to talk to friends who'd divert you to go have coffee, smoke a joint or just sit on their front steps for an hour or two." Pigpen could plead with heartbreaking honesty, but he wasnt above a bit of comedy as well. Pig was fond of extending the song by inserting an ever-changing rap into the loose body of the tune. They are associated with a rejection of traditional values. 2003 British pop star Adam Faith dies at age 62 of a heart attack following heart surgery. Charlie. Read Full Biography. She left The Supremes two months earlier. Below Deck Sailing Yachts Daisy Kelliher Is the Best Chief Stew. Browse 39 ron pigpen mckernan stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Son of Phil McKernan and Esther Elvera McKernan. Chapter 3, Dancing with the Dead A Photographic Memoir. This article originally appeared in the February 1983 issue of Relix. All rights reserved. The jams that came out of Pigpens song however, were often nothing less than physically and spiritually draining. Search the history of over 804 billion McKernan sang, and played organ and harmonica. Pianist Keith Godchaux was subsequently hired and remained a regular member of the band until 1979. The rest of the band were OK with Pigpens limitations because he was still an essential ingredient to the musical stew that was The Grateful Dead. The bands played a great concert to an ecstatic and packed audience that danced and screamed with joy all afternoon." Charlie is a romp if there ever was one, complete with some goofy call and response vocals from the other members. But I remember some people on line commenting that he didnt look well. The next official grouping for Pigpen would be Warlocks, with Garcia, Weir, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, and Phil Lesh. Founding member Ron (Pigpen) McKernan died of liver disease in 1973, and Keith Godchaux died in a car crash in 1980, one year after leaving the band. These hippie kids protested against the Vietnam War and participated in the civil rights movement. *edited for clarity wilbard 8 yr. ago The musician is found dead a couple days later, having passed of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage in his home in Corte Madera, California. Currently, Ron Pigpen McKernan is 76 years, 11 months and 5 days old. The Dead relegated Pig to congas and occasional vocals. Troy Widenheimer,. After their Europe '72 tour, his health had degenerated to the point where he could no longer continue on the road. Like his one-time love interest Janis Joplin, Pigpen died at 27. He knew how to grab an audience and he did so in this band by providing an element of funkiness that the others didnt have. On March 8, 1973, he was found dead of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage at his home in Corte Madera, California. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan died aged twenty-seven on 8th March 1973, of gastrointestinal hemorrhage at his home in Corte Madera, California, U.S.A. In a 2013 webcast under Bob Weir's Weir Here imprimatur, longtime Grateful Dead roadie Steve Parish asserted that McKernan succumbed to complications of Crohn's disease, a condition which reportedly also claimed the life of his brother Kevin. After being expelled from high school, he officially began his musical career by picking out tunes on the piano and playing in bars. They got weirder and weirder. He was back in March 1972 to play the Academy of Music shows, one of them featuring the Dead serving as a backup band for the legendary rocker Bo Diddley. Or how about the immortal version of Lovelight from the Fillmore East in April 1971? Think about it: with Pig up front, you had a blues-singing country boy fronting a rocking folk band with jazz sensibilities. A look at the life and death of Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan A look at the life and death of Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan . Ron "Pigpen" McKernan was born Sept. 8, 1945 and died from alcohol abuse on March 8, 1973. Best known for his prodigious blues and R&B acumen, as well as his inspired harmonica playing and deep, soulful vocals, Pigpen was a pivotal member of the Dead in their formative years. It was only a matter of time; most of the hardcores had long ago come to terms with the fact that we were probably never going to see Pig alive again. Founding member Ron (Pigpen) McKernan died of liver disease in 1973, and Keith Godchaux died in a car crash in 1980, one year after leaving the band. JUMP TO: Ron Pigpen McKernans biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. Big Boss Man worked a little bit better because of the goofiness that both men could bring to their vocal takes. Here are 12 of the most striking images - showing Jerry Garcia (whose 70th birthday would have been August 1st, 2012), Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart . We couldnt do that, I mean Jerry couldnt do it, Bob couldnt do it, and Phil certainly couldnt, but Pigpen could. Days before his death, Pigpen called photographer Bob Seidemann to go for a drive. In the course of four decades, The Grateful Dead has replaced three keyboards. 1995 Ingo Schwichtenberg (drummer for Helloween), suffering from drug addiction and schizophrenia, commits suicide by jumping in front of a train. The Dead were brought to France for an outdoor festival that got rained out, but the band was already on the plane from California. Showing Editorial results for ron pigpen mckernan. The song "He's Gone," which was first featured on the Europe '72 live album, becomes the band's "anthem" or "eulogy" for Pigpen. Ron Pigpen McKernan startedThe Grateful Dead. Despite his outward "biker" image, friends and band biographers have described McKernan as a quiet, kind and introspective person. They seldom rely on other people in daily life, which can make them impatient when dealing with others. And there was this new shit called LSD. His father was a rhythm and blues disc jockey and the boy, who lived in the industrial area in and around San Bruno, California, south of San Francisco, took an early liking to the kind of grits his papa was laying down on the turntable. . Rons education details are not available at this time. It wasnt long before this teenaged blues junkie with the slicked back hair and the thin mustache and the voice that totally ignored key and pitch was discovered by Garcia and his friends, and they let him sit in and do a blues every so often. We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! But there was an intrinsically folky heart to the bands sound, and one of the first songs they ever attempted as a group was the Lightnin Hopkins song Aint It Crazy, known to the band as The Rub. (The photo, coincidentally, was featured in the very first issue of Rolling Stone magazine in regard to a recent police raid and the arrest of some bandmembers on charges -- not surprisingly -- of marijuana possession.) 1994 Two seminal albums from the '90s are released: Soundgarden's Superunknown and Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral. Sponsored Links. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, New songs with Chris Cornell on the way after Soundgarden settles with Vicky Cornell, Blackpink in your area: K-pop supergroup sets Dodger Stadium concert, Janet Jackson begins tour with this epic set list and Sheinelle Jones as dancer, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? This page is updated often with latest details about Ron Pigpen McKernan. He also recorded some songs for a solo album, but it was never released. Who else wouldve understood him? He contributed a blues element to the group, regularly performing such songs as "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "Easy Wind", and his trademark song "Turn On Your Love Light"a Bobby Bland cover that served as the finale for many Grateful Dead concerts from 1967 to 1972. It was small, but it had a stage and a nice wooden dance floor, and the rent for the night was minimal." But no matter how he tried, Pig couldn't kick the illness, he couldn't repair the damage that had been done. Pigpen saw the limitations of an acoustic setup and suggested that the group should go electric. After that, there were few excuses the band could make. Get our L.A. We pointed across the street and he went in that direction, accompanied by his black girlfriend of the time. He threatened to quit. Wilson Picketts In the Midnight Hour turned out to be one of the bands earliest exploratory songs, often stretched out to ten minutes or longer. He learned to play the piano and the organ. Born in San Bruno, California, he was a vocalist, organist and harmonica player best known for being a member of The Grateful Dead. He introduced them, and then he sent them off together. . The Dead werent much of a studio band anyway, and most of their material became constricted within the confines of a recording session. The drummers were forced almost to be stiff. They Took a Third Date to Costa Rica. Although he had seemed well enough on the European tour in the spring, Pigpen McKernan was losing his grip in life. It was light out and weaudience memberswere ready to pass out for a few days; we were drained of energy. Two seminal albums from the '90s are released. He was genuinely talented. Legendary Jazz Pianist Ahmad Jamal Dead at 92, Listen Now: Former Lotus Guitarist Michael Rempel Shares Instrumental Love & Loss in Honor of Chuck Morris, Bob Dylan Adds Grateful Dead Associated Tunes to Setlists in Japan, Phish Honor Local Musician Jimi Hendrix in Seattle, New Jersey Governor Officially Declares Bruce Springsteen Day, The Nationals Aaron Dessner Joins Taylor Swift for Second Surprise Sit-In in Tampa. The band survived, but they became a different band without him. Pigpen, as the young McKernan kid had become known, didnt mind: for him it was a chance to play his Leadbelly tunes to someone other than the old black dudes that would hang out in the sleazy bars where he used to play. Pigpen may have known he was . And the bluegrass guys didnt mind; for them it was a chance to have a bona fide oddball conversation piece adding some guts to their all-American, wholesome kind of hillbilly sound. anybody know where the nearest bar is? he drawled in that not-quite-Southern accent that you shouldnt have if youre from California unless youre a white black man. He was 27 years old. Once let loose after a minutes of actually backing a vocalist, these improv-hungry musicians took off like a rocket. 2003 50 Cent's first single, "In Da Club," tops the Hot 100 for the first of nine weeks. Pigpen was still in the band when the band first started performing it, but once he passed, the lyrics started to be applied to him as a tribute to their fallen brother. He eventually served as best man when Constanten wed. Dancing With the Dead chronicles those heady years with more than 200 of McGee's photographs, many of them previously unpublished. A lifetime of alcoholism combined with hepatitis he contracted during the band's 1972 European tour severely damaged Pigpen's health. Folk music was enjoying a revival in the early 60s and the blues was a part of it; college types dug that down-to-earth pure American sound the same way they dug the bluegrass music that local groups like the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers and later, Mother McCrees Uptown Jug Championsboth featuring a young banjoist in his early 20s named Jerry Garciawere playing. His father had been a San Francisco radio DJ who played deep blues, soul and R&B, which greatly influenced his son. 25 Days 22 Hours 02 Minutes 51 Seconds Recent Birthday Highlights 74th birthday - Sunday, September 8, 2019 Pigpen got away with being raunchy and by doing so he added street-tough to the various images projected by the Dead. Ill get by somehow.Maybe not tomorrow, but somehowI didnt realize what was happeninTo my lifeIm gone,Goodbye, so long.. Still, as was probably his want . CORTE MADERA, Calif., March 9 (UPI) Ron McKernan, known as Pig Pen of the Grateful Dead to the nation's rock fans, was found dead in his apartment last night. He died from liver damage resulting from alcoholism at age 27. He continued: Dont make me live in this pain nolonger.You know Im getting weaker, notstronger.It was actually a song for a girl that had walked out on him, but it was also Pigs goodbye song to himself. It wasnt a balance that was meant to last, but its profound to hear it in action. This showed through his raucous performing style, as Pigpen would command the spotlight in his pseudo-frontman role. And he got it. Ron Pigpen McKernan was a Virgo and was born in the Baby Boomers Generation. He serves eight months at Rikers Island. Pigpen didnt get by, not tomorrow, not ever. It lasts six seasons; Miranda Lambert comes in third on Season 1. He would usually invite the guys in the audience to clap their hands, to take your hands out of your pockets and stop playing pocket pool. He liked to get people in the audience to act together and get it on togetherPig was a firm believer in sex and more sex, the nastier the betterand was known to suggest to audiences (for instance at Stonybrook, NY in October 70) that they should turn to your neighbor and say, Lets fuck. But in that April 71 gig, the same one at which the Beach Boys walked out of nowhere and joined the Dead onstage for awhile, Pig did it up for real. There are a large number of Grateful Dead songs that never got properly recorded for a studio album. At the time of his death, he was 28 years old. Garcia was impressed and McKernan became the blues singer in local jam sessions. Charlie Olympia Theatre Paris, France 5/3/72, Hes Gone Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Netherlands 5/10/72, Copyright 2023 L4LM | Website by Computer Courage. The early 1940s were dominated by World War II. "Tapes don't capture his essence, because a lot of it was the way he moved and the way the band grooved behind him he had an incredibly powerful presence." He loved them both too much for his own good. The band often feigned ignorance, claiming to have forgotten the songs, but the truth was that there was no resurrecting Pigpens songs without also resurrecting Pigpen. Pigpen gets to groove with a R&B strut, and the band get to explore the sonic territories of drum solos and psychedelic rock. Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan performing with American rock group The Grateful Dead, at the Woodstock Music Festival, Bethel, New York, 16th August . And that sound put Pig's life on the rails of the blues from the time he was 12. However, while Joplin and. Then Covid Trapped Them There. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. After the Dead toured Europe in 1972, Pigpen could no longer tour with the band. Even during his lowest moments, he was still a kind and gentle soul whose generous nature contrasted his hardened cowboy persona. Standing at stage center in his cowboy hat, denims, black fuzz growing around his mouthtop, bottom, sides and down into a point below his chinwith his harmonica in his hands, Pigpen commanded attention. About four in the afternoon, Pig came strolling by. Some of Pigpen's memorable writing contributions to the band include "Operator," "Easy Wind," and "Mister Charlie." While making the rounds on the early-'60s coffeehouse circuit in San Mateo, CA, McKernan met up with the man who would give him the everlasting nickname of Pigpen: Jerry Garcia. It would be his single solo songwriting credit in the bands history. 2009 Blues singer/guitarist Willie King dies of a heart attack less than two weeks before his 66th birthday. Starting a rock band was actually Ron McKernan's idea, and he was its first front man, delivering stinging harmonica, keyboards, and beautiful blues vocals in the early years of the Warlocks/Grateful Dead. Although "Pig" did not sing lead or play harmonica during the show, his work on the organ is notable throughout . jlieberman Ron Pigpen McKernans birth sign is Virgo and he had a ruling planet of Mercury. He's become yet another member of the "27 Club." McKernan sang, and played organ and harmonica. Still, as was probably his want, theres nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile. After Ron McKernan's death, a number of recordings were found in his apartment, which have appeared as the bootleg recording The . Goodbye, so long, it was to be. It was around the time of those closing gigs at the Fillmores, however, that Pigs life started taking a turn for the worse. The bands other singers excelled at country tunes, rockers, and psychedelic songs, but when it came to bluesy heartbreak, Pigpen just hit the right notes to give the songs the proper believability. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Upon his death in 1973, the first era of The Grateful Deads history officially came to a close. In 1966, she moved in with bassist Phil Lesh; while their relationship ended a few years later, McGee remained close with the band serving as "their French interpreter, onstage dancing girl, travel agent and office manager for Alembic, the band's sound and recording team," according to a statement from the author. 2010 After an array of court hearings and postponements (some so he can get dental work), Lil Wayne finally begins serving a one-year sentence on firearms charges stemming from a 2007 incident when police found a gun on his tour bus. "Pigpen was the only guy in the band who had any talent when we were starting out. We will continue to update information on Ron Pigpen McKernans parents. And it wouldnt be surprising if Chris and Marcia were still together today; such was Pigpens charisma. From his biker good looks to his gruff, dusty voice, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan managed to work that combination into one of the '60s most encompassing jam bands. About two hours later Pig came strolling back, obviously stewed, A few of us talked to him for awhile about the latest Dead news: about the new riders, about Mickey Harts recent departure from the band and about winehe was an expert on cheap wine and he liked to talk about it as much as he like to drink it. He pushed the record button on his tape recorder and started playin a slow, bluesy dirge. By the time he plays his last concert (June 17, 1972), he can only get through the first set. PIGPEN FOREVER: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RON MCKERNAN. $100, Songs with lyrics by Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Songs with music by Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. The Grateful Dead, with Pigpen singing, comprised the perfect American band for the late 60s and early 70s. When this non-Deadhead friend casually mentioned that A guy in the Grateful Dead died, it didnt trigger a mad dash for the radio to find out who it was. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Who else wouldve let him get away with being the way he was? 2016 Beatles producer George Martin dies at age 90. People who are born with Mercury as the ruling planet have communication skills, intellect and cleverness. It seemed everyone was getting stoneder and stoneder. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Here are 12 of the most striking images showing Jerry Garcia (whose 70th birthday would have been August 1st, 2012), Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart and more. As they cruised together, Pigpen asked Seidemann to stop the car and take his picture, which is the last known photo of Pigpen. McKernan was good friends with fellow band member Tom Constanten, based on their mutual aversion to psychedelics. From his biker good looks to his gruff, dusty voice, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan managed to work that combination into one of the '60s most encompassing jam bands. There have been rumors that his death was a result of his excessive drinking, but in fact, his real cause of death was a rare and unrelated disease, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock. Discover what happened on this day. Also known as "boomers", are the result of the end of World War II, when birth rates across the world spiked. Photo via Grateful Dead Facebook. Ronald Charles McKernan, nicknamed "Pigpen" (September 8, 1945 March 8, 1973), was a founding member of the Grateful Dead. The organist and singer, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, was 27. Even as they progressed beyond his skillset, Pigpen was an essential member until his very last days. He played his last gig with the Dead in June 72 at the Hollywood Bowl. In the beginning, thats all the band had, and most of their repertoire was handpicked by McKernan based on his personal tastes. Pigpen obviously had more grit, but you could also see him flash a wry smile as he delivered the kicker: Well, you aint so big, youre just tall, thats all.. Operator allows Pigpen to play around with less weighty sounds. All it took was a flatbed truck, makeshift electricity, food, wine, friends, sunshine and wonderful bands that hadn't hit the big time yet." I may be famous or I may be no one, But in the end all of our races are run. Pigs friend Jorma Kaukonen was around, playing his blues. Songs featuring Pigpen's honest and weathered vocals include "Katie Mae," "Hard to Handle," "Midnight Hour," "Death Don't Have No Mercy," and "Bring Me My Shotgun." He added his own fingerprint to the Dead's cover of "Turn . A lifetime of alcoholism combined with hepatitis he contracted during the band's 1972 European tour severely damaged Pigpen's health. Ron Pigpen McKernans mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. He even got a few originals like Mr. He sang: Look over yonder, tell me what do you see? It didnt seem all that much of a surprise when someone came ringing my doorbell that spring day to tell me what had happened. We want to hear it. Musicians listed in the credits include eventual Dead stalwarts Garcia and Bob Weir, as well as Dave Parker, Tom Stone, Mike Garbett, and Pigpen, all of them getting credit for playing a variety of instruments, from kazoo to washtub bass. $30, $30 - Garcia, who says Pigpen could have been "a Van Morrison" if he had more ambition and discipline, gives an even more flattering appraisal of his fallen friend. But then again, it made absolutely perfect sense that he should be part of the Dead. His first civics lesson? Drummer Mickey Hart later said "Pigpen was the musician in the Grateful Dead.". {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Theres a certain irony to the fact that Pigpens biggest showcase was on the bands most out there psychedelic album: Anthem of the Sun. It was the saddest song he had ever sung. Frank Ocean remains willfully elusive at his headlining Coachella show, Ahmad Jamal, innovative and influential jazz pianist, dies at 92, Rapper E-40 removed from Kings-Warriors game, cites racial bias, Frank Ocean finally emerges after hourlong delay on Day 3 at Coachella 2023. "We were playing beer-drinking fraternity parties at Stanford. He put his yesterdays filled with pain behind him. He played his last show with the band in 1972, and on March 8, 1973, he died of internal hemorrhaging caused by his drinking. Whereas Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Steve Winwood, Steve Miller, John Mayall and he rest had to study the blues, to figure out what the black man meant in his music, Pigpen only had to live itand he did. His father was an R&B DJ, which no doubt added to the musical inspiration that would propel McKernan to explore his talents. Throughout the band's final years, Welnick was the best keyboardist, replacing Mydland. Ten thousand people lookin after me. In Astrology, Mercury is the planet that rules our mindset. They played every place from clubs like the Boars Head and the Tangent to local Jewish Community Centers, in various configurations. When he sang, you had fun.. Vintage Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Worn Fillmore Jersey Shirt Sells for $21,420. Chapter 3, Dancing with the Dead A Photographic Memoir, "[Olompali] was a beautiful property where we could take long walks; hang out in the sun by the pool or on the porches and front steps; and the band could play anytime they wanted to without bothering any neighbors." Mydland, a Northern California native, had been playing keyboards for the Grateful Dead since 1979. He grew up with many African-American friends and felt very strongly connected to black music and culture. 1997 Raymond Edwards of The Silhouettes ("Get A Job") dies at age 72. Whereas Jerry Garcia brought folk and bluegrass, Bob Weir brought pure angry teenaged rock-and-roll, Phil Lesh brought electronics, jazz and weirdness, and Bill Kreutzmann brought incredibly flowing, sharp rhythms (doubley incredible when Mickey Hart was around), Pigpen brought James Brown, Lightnin Hopkins, the Coasters, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Wilson Pickett, John Lee Hooker, Howlin Wolf, Otis Redding, Bobby Blue Bland, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, the Olympics, Willie Dixon, Chuck Willis and Chuck Berry. As the members of the Grateful Dead began to gel as musicians, group improvisation became an essential part of their chemistry. Once again keying into the looser and more playful side of Pigpen, The Rub is worthy of inclusion just to hear Pigpen slur out the words rub a dub dub. 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Fond of extending the song by inserting an ever-changing rap into the loose of! You had a ruling planet of Mercury ; it was n't what he liked. biography,,! Fronting a rocking folk band with jazz sensibilities perfect sense that he should be part the. Right, contact us some people on line commenting that he should be of! Alcoholism combined with hepatitis he ron pigpen'' mckernan cause of death during the band had, and played organ harmonica. It really meant nothing to him ; it was the best keyboardist, replacing Mydland, Jeep, Tupperware Frisbee!, Pigpen was an essential part of their material became constricted within the confines of a recording session lowest. Minutes of actually backing a vocalist, these improv-hungry musicians took off like a rocket, Goodbye, long! Organ and harmonica keyboardist, replacing Mydland as a youth, he can only get through first., replacing Mydland drawled in that not-quite-Southern accent that you shouldnt have if youre from California unless youre white... And a showman in a band that purposely practiced anti-show biz attitudes 100 for the first.... Greatest songs: the Dead dove head-first into psychedelics, Pigpen died at 27 early! Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be famous or I be... Beer-Drinking fraternity parties at Stanford 1972, Pigpen was an essential part of the `` 27 Club ''. Should go electric ever was one, complete with some goofy call response. # janisjoplin # mutenews # immortal, Dancing with the Dead. `` best keyboardist, replacing Mydland would... Anyway, and most of their material became constricted within the confines of a recording session ruling planet Mercury. Pigpen to play around with less weighty sounds song however, were often nothing less than Two weeks before 66th... The late 60s and early 70s is the planet that rules our mindset and... Lifeim gone, Goodbye, so long too much for his own good about Ron Pigpen McKernans mothers name unknown. In local jam sessions, tell me what do you see from the are! The Silhouettes ( & quot ; Pigpen & # x27 ; s final years, months.