Although Pigpen was no longer a member of the Dead, it's safe to say that his former bandmates were devastated. Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan Ron McKernan, better known as Pigpen, was born in 1945 in California. [vimeo 122619353 w-1000 h=680] In honor of the founder of The Dead, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and my all-time favorite song by the man himself, Two Souls in Communion (or more relatively referred to as The Stranger), I merged a tribute video created by Marmalade Sky with my favorite recording of the song from their Amsterdam gig during their European tour of ’72. McKernan played around with decidedly cooler-sounding names, first dubbing himself "Blue Ron," before going for "Pigpen." Unlike the other members of the Grateful Dead, McKernan avoided psychedelic drugs, preferring to drink alcohol (namely whiskey and flavored fortified wine). The band's earliest sets centered around blues and R&B covers chosen by McKernan. A lifetime of alcoholism combined with hepatitis he contracted during the band's 1972 European tour severely damaged Pigpen's health. McKernan moved to Palo Alto, California, with his family, where he became friends with musician Jerry Garcia at the age of 14. [36] Several new songs emerged from a creatively fecund period coinciding with his health problems in 1971, most notably "Mr. Charlie", a collaboration with Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Ron was the son of Esther Elvera (Nelson) and Phillip Charles McKernan, a disc jockey. Above: Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan (1945-1973) photographed in 1972 (Image credit: Getty) The 80s began with new keyboard player Brent Mydland replacing Keith and Donna Godchaux, and the release of the patchy Go To Heaven album, whose cover made the group look like ageing New Romantics. (The Dead's website extrapolates on its meaning, insisting that the nickname came from his "funky approach to life and sanitation."). "[21] He began to take Hammond organ lessons and learned how to use the various drawbars and controls. '"[25], While in the Grateful Dead, McKernan sang and played blues-influenced organ and harmonica. On March 8, 1973, Ron McKernan died at age 27. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. [19][20] Following his discharge from the United States Air Force in November 1968, Constanten officially joined the band, having only worked in the studio while on leave up to that point. In the mid 1960s, he with musicians Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, formed the band The Grateful Dead and released their self-titled album on … Name: Jim Morrison. He plays the harmonica, Hammond organ, singer, percussion and sometimes he plays the guitar. In 1970′s he had first stage of biliary cirrhosis. Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan died on March 8, 1975. In contrast, though, McKernan was always encouraged to sing material live and left the group due to ill health, while Jones was fired. This included two songs recorded in 1964 with future Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. The band’s members also included Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir. Charlie." One day in February 1973, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan got out of bed in his apartment in Corte Madera, California, where he’d recently been spending most … [45] While his bandmates and friends were using cannabis, LSD, and other hallucinogenic drugs, McKernan preferred alcoholic beverages such as Thunderbird and Southern Comfort. (4) Ron “Pigpen” McKernan was born Sept. 8, 1945 and died from alcohol abuse on March 8, 1973. He was a member of the rock band Grateful Dead, in which he sung and played the keybord. [17] Garcia delegated the task of firing them to Rock Scully, who said that McKernan "took it hard. Ronald Charles McKernan, nicknamed "Pigpen" (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973), was a founding member of the Grateful Dead. Ron McKernan was born on September 8, 1945 in San Bruno, California, USA as Ronald Charles McKernan. 1724, citing Alta Mesa Memorial Park, Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave . [55] Though his contributions to the band had slowly diminished over the years, the other members were devastated at his death. Pigpen's love of the blues was equaled only by his love of alcohol, a demon he couldn't shake. The combination of Crohn's and alcoholism would make a lot more sense than an otherwise healthy 27 year old drinking himself to death. On the bootleg, McKernan played acoustic guitar and piano, instruments he seldom used with the Dead. He contributed instrumentation to only two tracks (Hammond organ on "Black Peter" and harmonica on "Easy Wind", the latter as lead vocalist) on Workingman's Dead (1970), the band's breakthrough studio release. Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan was born on September 8, 1945 and died on March 8, 1973. [4] During the band's first year when they played straightforward blues, McKernan performed the majority of lead vocals, attracting an early audience that came specifically to see him sing and play harmonica. McKernan rejoined the band in December 1971 to supplement … But unlike Joplin, Pigpen's passing was actually due to congenital biliary cirrhosis, a rare autoimmune disease that is unrelated to alcohol use. Co-founding member of the Grateful Dead Ron “Pigpen” McKernan sadly passed away on this date in 1973 at the young age of 27. He was a founding member of the San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. 'Pigpen' McKernan lived up to his name but he died at 27 of alcohol abuse Garcia was paid $125,000 by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for the use of ‘Cherry Garcia’ By Caroline Howe For Dailymail.com Using his trusty Hammond organ, the musician helped the Dead attract mass attention. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and Barry McGuire fell into these traps. Producers Terry Allen Fraser and Diana Raquel Sainz are embarking on a feature film about the music and life of Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. [27] With the exception of select acoustic sets in 1970 in which he played acoustic upright piano,[28] he used the Hammond exclusively thereafter. 13 Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. [17] He continued to front the band for long stretches during their live performances and suggested new material for the Dead's concert repertoire, including Redding's "Hard to Handle" and James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Ron Pigpen McKernan. McKernan was the first of the Dead's founding members to suggest they form a band, and his life-long infatuation with … He had a liver problem, but it was a burst doudenal ulcer which caused his death from internal bleeding. As Beacham Journal reports, the young musician taught himself piano, guitar and harmonica while slowly growing a record collection of old blues 78s. But despite Pigpen's musical accomplishments, by 1971, the musician's health was severely compromised by alcoholism and resulting liver damage, prompting doctors to advise him to stop touring altogether, per Rock Scully's biography Living with the Dead: Twenty Years on the Bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Today would have been Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s 74th birthday had the founding Grateful Dead member not died in 1973 at the age of 27 due to complications from Crohn’s disease. Little is known about his family or early life. [9], Along with Garcia and second guitarist Bob Weir, McKernan was a participant in the predecessor groups leading to the formation of the Grateful Dead, beginning with the Zodiacs and Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. Grateful Dead keyboard player Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, a founding member of the band, dies at age 27. He also revived the 1960s standard "Big Boy Pete", originally sung by McKernan, as a one-off in 1985. About Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Ronald Charles McKernan (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973), known as Pigpen, was an American singer and musician. He was a founding member of the San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. He was buried at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto. Year: 1973. [62], McKernan was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. The son of one of the first white rhythm and blues disk jockeys, McKernan grew up around music. The Bay Area native … Official Sites. [11][12], The Dead's early sets centered around blues and R&B covers chosen by McKernan. One day in February 1973, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan got out of bed in his apartment in Corte Madera, California, where he’d recently been spending most … Continue to perform a lot more sense ron pigpen'' mckernan cause of death an otherwise healthy 27 year old drinking himself to death away... 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