Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
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Ronald C. "Pigpen" McKernan (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973) was a founding member of the rock band Grateful Dead. His musical contributions to the Grateful Dead included vocals, keyboards, harmonica, percussion, and guitar.
McKernan was born in San Bruno, California, the son of a San Francisco Bay Area R&B and blues disc jockey. He grew up with many black friends and found a bond with the black music and culture. As a youth, McKernan began figuring out blues piano and also developed a biker image that was to lead to the eventual cessation of his school career. In his early teens, McKernan left Palo Alto High School by mutual agreement with the school's principal. He developed a strong affinity for alcohol.
McKernan began hanging around coffeehouses and music stores, where he eventually met Jerry Garcia. One night Garcia had McKernan hop on-stage and play his harmonica and sing the blues. Garcia was sold; he knew he wanted this man to be the blues singer in all the local jam sessions. It is often thought that Jerry Garcia had given Ron McKernan his nickname of "Pigpen," but it was actually a high school buddy named Roger who gave him the nickname. Pigpen got his name because of his funky approach to life.
Pigpen was a participant in each of the predecessor groups leading up to the formation of the Grateful Dead, beginning with the Zodiacs and then Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. Bob Weir and Bob Matthews were added to the mix and evolved into The Warlocks. Around 1965, it was Pigpen who urged the rest of the Warlocks to go electric (around the time Phil Lesh would join and they became the Grateful Dead).
Pigpen was the high-energy bluesman. He played blues organ as well as harmonica and vocals, and could rant improvised lyrics incessantly. While his buddies were experimenting with LSD, Pigpen stuck to his old favorites, Thunderbird wine and Southern Comfort. And Pigpen steadily added more signature tunes to the Dead's repertoire, including some that lasted for the remainder of their live performance career such as "Turn on Your Lovelight" and "In the Midnight Hour".
In 1967 and 1968 respectively, Mickey Hart and Tom Constanten joined the Grateful Dead lineup, causing the band to take a stylistic turn from the blues towards psychedelia. Pigpen's playing was getting pushed aside because he wasn't as accomplished on keys as Constanten and, in the October of 1968, McKernan and Weir were nearly fired from the band. The duty of the firing was given to Rock Scully by Garcia, and Scully commented that Pigpen "took it hard." The Grateful Dead did a number of shows under the moniker Mickey and the Hartbeats and Jerry Garrceeah and His Friends, mainly playing their songs sans lyrics. However, before long, Weir asked repeatedly to be let back into the band and vowed to step up his playing. McKernan was a bit more stubborn, not playing three more shows Dead shows, until he finally vowed not to "be lazy" anymore.[1] In November 1968, Constanten was hired full time for the band, having only worked in the studio up to that point. Joe McIntire, an assistant road manager under Jonthan Reister, commented that "Pigpen was relegated to the congas at that point and it was really humiliating and he was really hurt, but he couldn't show it, couldn't talk about it."[2] However, Pigpen eventually returned to his keyboard duties alongside Constanten until 1970.
Pigpen's liver began having trouble keeping up with his drinking. His organ playing became less prominent in the band's sound, but he continued to serve as a vocalist along with Garcia and Weir. By 1971, Keith Godchaux had joined the band on piano after Constanten's departure, while Pigpen continued playing harmonica, percussion, and the Hammond organ. He vowed to quit drinking so he could still be a part of the band. Unfortunately, after their "Europe '72" tour, Pigpen's health had degenerated to the point that he could no longer tour with the Dead. His final concert appearance being June 17, 1972 at the Hollywood Bowl, in Los Angeles, California.
On March 8, 1973, he was found dead at age 27 of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage at his home in Corte Madera, California. Pigpen is buried at the Alta Mesa Memorial Park - Plot: Hillview Sec.Bb16 Lot 374 - in Palo Alto, California. His grave marker is inscribed:
1945 - 1973
PIGPEN WAS
AND IS NOW FOREVER
ONE OF THE
GRATEFUL DEAD
[edit] References
Grateful Dead Website
- ^ Garcia: An American Life by Blair Jackson, Penguin Books, 1999, pg. 156.
- ^ Garcia: An American Life by Blair Jackson, Penguin Books, 1999, pg. 157.
