The death of Ron “Pigpen” Mckernan in 1972 eased them off their edgy bar band image. With Mickey’s hiatus and the addition of the Godchauxs’ they eased into their funky three years 76’-78’ and then acquiring Brent in 79’. The addition of Brent Mydland with his soulful voice and his heartfelt slapping on the Hammond organ brought a new energetic blend to the sta

ge. With the death of Brent in mid 1990, Bruce Hornsby and later Vince Welnick were introduced into the final phase of the Grateful Dead. The “Long Strange Trip” came to a halt in 1995 with the death of Jerry. I don’t have the time to Chronicle the 30 years this experience lasted, but rather only wish to expound on this monumental band’s relationship with its audience that lasted 4 decades and why quite possibly the ugliest rock band lasted so long, never slighting each others talent and always evoking the emotions that keeps their music alive.

Gaining some local respect and somewhat of an underground fan scene, they began playing acid tests organized by the Kesey brothers or just Ken Kesey and the Marry Pranksters. In 1969 The last acid test the Dead played left a warehouse trashed, a band with a reputation and over 500 people and 10 cops tripping there brains out. The next three years would prove to bring much joy but greater sadness. The Dead played Woodstock in 1969 and to this day wish to could forget their performance and in 1972 they traveled overseas on their first European tour. The 2 years leading up to Europe Pigpen had been going through some obvious physical changes including the loss of about 100 pounds.

Pigpen was a drinker and a rough character on the outside, but anyone who met him knew him as a big teddy bear. After years of drinking and hard living Pigpen’s body finally gave and on March 8th 1973 Pigpen died of a ruptured stomach and Liver failure in his home in Corte Modera, CA at age 27. His last show in London proved to be his best. The audience now had no one to come out and warm them up with his dry humor and warm feel and nobody to bring the hallucinating folks back to earth. Before Pigpen left due to illness the Dead arranged to have Keith Godchaux to play the keys and his wife as a back up vocalist. In 1967 Mickey Hart was added and his father was the accountant of the band. After a scandal involving Mickey Hart’s father in 1971, details of how Lenny Hart laundered money from the Dead came out and Mickey took a 3 year break out of necessity. Upon returning in 1974 the dead played through the summer and then took a touring break until fall of 1976 returning with a new funk-rock feel and a new brand of drumming. The two drummers’ would end a set with a 30 minute drum solo exploring different realms of drumming.

Phil and Friends, etc.), Rob Baracco (Phil and Friends) and Jeff Chimenti (Phil and Friends and Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade) to bring 40,000 family members together at Alpine Valley. I was excited, but a little skeptical of how they would perform, but by set break I was awestruck and I wasn’t alone. I caught the last show of their tour as The Other Ones last fall and was further amazed. Stage left isn’t the same without Jerry, but the community

Some topics in this essay:
Grateful Dead, Age Music, Meanwhile Jerry, Keith Godchaux, Marry Pranksters, Strange Trip”, Europe Pigpen, Dead Mickey, Brent Mydland, Oakland California, grateful dead, phil friends, bob weir, rock band, mickey hart, phil lesh, dead played, bob weir phil, hart bob, weren’t warlocks, weir phil, mickey hart bob, hart bob weir, bruce hornsby vince, hornsby vince welnick,