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Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
McKernan in 1968
McKernan in 1968
Background information
Birth nameRonald Charles McKernan
Also known asPigpen, Blue Ron
Born(1945-09-08)September 8, 1945
San Bruno, California,U.S.[1]
OriginPalo Alto, California,U.S.
DiedMarch 8, 1973(1973-03-08)(aged 27)
Corte Madera, California,U.S.[1]
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Keyboards
  • organ
  • harmonica
  • vocals
  • guitar
Years active1961–1972
LabelsWarner Bros. Records
Formerly of

Ronald Charles McKernan(September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973), known asPigpen,was an American musician. He was a founding member of theSan Francisco bandtheGrateful Deadand played in the group from 1965 to 1972.[2]

McKernan grew up heavily influenced by African-American music, particularly theblues,and enjoyed listening to his father's collection of records and taught himself how to play harmonica and piano. He began socializing around theSan Francisco Bay Area,becoming friends withJerry Garcia.After the pair had played in various folk and jug bands, McKernan suggested they form an electric group, which became the Grateful Dead. He was the band's original frontman and played harmonica andelectric organ,but Garcia and bassistPhil Lesh's influences on the band became increasingly stronger as they embracedpsychedelic rock.McKernan struggled to keep up with the changing music, causing the group to hire keyboardistTom Constanten,with McKernan's contributions essentially limited to vocals, harmonica, and percussion from November 1968 to January 1970. He continued to be a frontman in concert for some numbers, including his interpretations ofBobby Bland's "Turn On Your Love Light"andthe Rascals' "Good Lovin'".

Unlike the other members of the Grateful Dead, McKernan avoidedpsychedelic drugs,preferring to drinkalcohol(namelywhiskeyandflavored fortified wine). By 1971, his health had been affected by alcoholism andliver damageand doctors advised him to stop touring. Following a hiatus, he resumed touring with the group in December 1971 but was forced to retire from touring altogether in June 1972. McKernan was found dead of agastrointestinal hemorrhageon March 8, 1973,aged 27,and is buried atAlta Mesa Memorial ParkinPalo Alto.

Biography

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Early life

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Ronald Charles McKernan was born on September 8, 1945, inSan Bruno, California.[1]He came from Irish ancestry, and his father, Phil McKernan, was anR&Bandbluesdisc jockey, who has been reported to have been one of the first white DJs on KDIA (later renamedKMKY), then a black radio station, by several sources.[3][4]Other sources place him at Berkeley station, KRE (later renamedKBLX-FM).[5]Ronald grew up with African American friends and enjoyedblack musicandculture.[6]As a youth, he taught himself blues piano, guitar and harmonica[7]and developed abiker cultureimage. McKernan moved to Palo Alto, California, with his family, where he became friends with musicianJerry Garciaat the age of 14.[4]He built up a substantial collection of old blues78sfrom labels such asKentandChess.[8]

McKernan began spending time aroundcoffeehousesand music stores, and worked at Dana Morgan's Music Store in Palo Alto with Garcia.[9]One night Garcia invited McKernan on stage to play harmonica and sing the blues. Garcia was impressed and McKernan became the blues singer in localjam sessions.He was initially nicknamed "Blue Ron" before settling on "Pigpen".[4]OnomasticianAdrian Roomhas suggested McKernan was given the name due to his untidy and unclean habits[10]and band biographies say he got the nickname owing to his similarity toPig-Pen,the permanently-dirty character in the comic-stripPeanuts.[11]

Grateful Dead

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Main article:Grateful Dead
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (second from left) as part of theGrateful Deadin 1970.

Along with Garcia and second guitaristBob Weir,McKernan was a participant in the predecessor groups leading to the formation of the Grateful Dead, beginning with the Zodiacs andMother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions.[12]DrummerBill Kreutzmannwas added and the band evolved into the Warlocks. Around 1965, McKernan urged the rest of the Warlocks to switch to electric instruments. BassistPhil Leshjoined soon after, and they became theGrateful Dead.The group were keen to involve McKernan in the band, as he was the group's original leader and was considered the best singer and frontman.[13][14]

The Dead's early sets centered around blues and R&B songs chosen by McKernan.[15]By the end of 1966, Garcia had improved his musical skills, changing the band's direction and reducing McKernan's contributions.[16][17]In 1967, drummerMickey Hartjoined the Grateful Dead, followed by classically trained keyboardistTom Constantenin 1968, further changing the group's style. Constanten often replaced McKernan on keyboards in the studio, as McKernan found it difficult to adapt to the new material that Garcia and Lesh composed for the band.[18]

In October 1968, McKernan and Weir were nearly fired from the band after Garcia and Lesh believed their playing was holding the band back from lengthy and experimental jamming.[19]Garcia delegated the task of firing them toRock Scully,who said that McKernan "took it hard."[20]Weir promised to improve, but McKernan was more stubborn.[21]According to Garcia biographer Blair Jackson, McKernan missed three Dead shows before vowing not to "be lazy" any more and rejoining, while Kreutzmann objected to replacing McKernan and said the event never happened.[21][22]Following his discharge from theUnited States Air Forcein November 1968, Constanten officially joined the band, having only worked in the studio while on leave up to that point. Road manager Jon McIntire 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."[23]He began to takeHammond organlessons and learned how to use the variousdrawbarsand controls.[24]

After Constanten's departure in January 1970 over musical and lifestyle differences, McKernan nominally resumed keyboard duties. He played an instrument on two tracks only (Hammond organon "Black Peter" and harmonica on "Easy Wind", on which he also sang lead) onWorkingman's Dead(1970), the band's breakthrough studio release. On the follow-up albumAmerican Beauty,keyboard parts were handled by Garcia and Lesh, along with session musiciansHoward WalesandNed Lagin.The 1971 live albumGrateful Deadfeatured three overdubbed organ parts fromMerl Saundersin addition to McKernan's contributions on "Big Railroad Blues", "The Other One", and "Me & Bobby McGee".[25]While Garcia expressed frustration at McKernan's missed rehearsals and his inability to keep up with new material,[26]Lesh was more forgiving, maintaining that "it was okay for Pigpen to lay out... we kept wanting Pigpen to be there because he was 'one of us.'"[27]

Musical style and influences

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While in the Grateful Dead, McKernan sang and played blues-influencedorganand harmonica. He initially played a Lowrey T1 (often confused for aFarfisacombo organ[28]) before switching to the more elaborateVox Continental[3]in 1966. He began to alternate between the Vox Continental and the Hammond B-3 in June 1967, usually reserving the former instrument for outdoor and impromptu concerts, including the band's performance at theColumbia University protests of 1968.[29]During Tom Constanten's tenure with the group, McKernan occasionally played his bandmate's double-manual Vox Super Continental on some songs (most notably "Death Don't Have No Mercy") through May 1969.[29]With the exception of select acoustic sets in 1970 in which he playedupright piano,[30]he used the Hammond exclusively thereafter.[29]

McKernan sang lead on several standards he wanted the Dead to record, such asOtis Redding's "Pain in My Heart" andWilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour",with the latter serving as one of the band's main improvisatory vehicles from 1966 to 1968.[31][32]Unlike fellow vocalists Garcia and Weir, he sang lead without playing any instrument except harmonica and actively interacted with the audience, occasionally walking out into the crowd.[6]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. He took on early management duties in the band, ensuring they would be paid and promoted properly for gigs.[4]

Though McKernan'sgarage rockstyle was appropriate for their early recordings, it was less suited to the group's later psychedelic and jamming styles.[19]He went from contributing to every song and singing lead on all of side two of 1968'sAnthem of the Sunto little more than sporadic appearances on the following year'sAoxomoxoa.[19]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"andJames Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".[33]

McKernan achieved a new prominence in 1969 singing "Turn On Your Love Light";initially introduced in 1967, the song gradually evolved into the band's show-stopping finale, often taking fifteen to thirty minutes to complete. He improvised lyrics over the band's accompaniment, using phrases he had heard from African American friends, such as" rider "(slang for" lover ")," she's got box-back nitties "(referring to female underwear) and" boar hog's eye ".[34]When the Grateful Dead appeared atWoodstock,the band's set (which was marred by technical problems and general chaos and described as one of their worst shows) ended with "Turn On Your Love Light".[35]Even as his instrumental contributions waned, McKernan's vocal performances remained an integral part of the band's live set; by early 1971, their cover ofthe Rascals' "Good Lovin'"(initially performed by the group as early as 1966 and featured at shows at theFillmore Eastlater released asLadies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead) began to emerge as a secondary showcase of his improvisatory talents alongside "Love Light".[36][37]

McKernan was not a prolific songwriter, preferring to concentrate on blues covers and improvised lyrics. He composed the infrequently performed "Operator" for 1970'sAmerican Beauty.[38]Several new songs emerged from a creatively fecund period coinciding with his health problems in 1971, most notably "Mr. Charlie", a collaboration with Dead lyricistRobert Hunter.The song appeared on the live albumEurope '72,his last with the group.[39]

Tony Sclafani has compared McKernan's role in the band, initially strong and pivotal but gradually declining, to that ofBrian Jonesinthe Rolling Stones,particularly since both men were primarily influenced by the blues over rock 'n' roll anddied aged 27.In contrast, though, McKernan was always encouraged to sing material live and left the group due to ill health, while Jones was fired.[19]

After McKernan's death, a number of recordings were found in his apartment, which have appeared as thebootleg recordingThe Apartment Tapes.This included two songs recorded in 1964 with futureJefferson AirplaneguitaristJorma Kaukonen.On the bootleg, McKernan played acoustic guitar and piano, instruments he seldom used with the Dead.[40]

Personal life

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McKernan was close friends with American singer-songwriterJanis Joplindue to common musical influences and lifestyles, particularly a shared love ofalcoholover other drugs;[41]a poster from the early 1970s showed them together at 710 Ashbury Street, the Grateful Dead's communal home from 1966 to 1968.[42][43]Joplin joined McKernan on stage at theFillmore Weston June 7, 1969, with the Grateful Dead to sing his signature "Turn On Your Love Light",[44]reprising this duet on July 16, 1970, at the Euphoria Ballroom in San Rafael, California.[45][a]

He developed a close friendship with fellow keyboardistTom Constantenbased on their mutual aversion to psychedelics[24]and eventually served as best man at Constanten's first wedding.[47]While his bandmates and friends were usingcannabis,LSD,and other hallucinogenic drugs, McKernan preferred alcoholic beverages such asThunderbirdandSouthern Comfort.[17][48]Ironically, McKernan was arrested and fined after the cannabis bust on November 9, 1967, at 710 Ashbury Street, even though he did not use the drug.[49]The event was covered in the first issue ofRolling Stone,where the reporter noted McKernan had a substantial rifle collection[50]and McKernan's picture appeared on a contemporary report in theSan Francisco Chronicle.Because neither took illegal drugs, McKernan and Constanten were the only members of the band not arrested in the January 31, 1970, police raid that inspired the lyrics of the band's song "Truckin'".[51]

In the early years of the Grateful Dead, McKernan was easily recognisable by his biker image, making him a minor celebrity. In 1969, the band's record company,Warner Bros.,ran a "Pigpen Look-Alike Contest".[42]

Health and death

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McKernan's headstone inAlta Mesa Memorial Park.The inscription reads "Pigpen was and is now forever one of the Grateful Dead".

McKernan's alcohol abuse had begun to affect his health by his mid twenties.[17]By the early 1970s, he also began to experience symptoms ofprimary biliary cholangitis,anautoimmune diseasethat was unrelated to his use of alcohol. After he was hospitalized in August 1971, doctors requested that he stop touring indefinitely.[52]PianistKeith Godchauxwas subsequently hired and remained a regular member of the Grateful Dead until 1979.[53]McKernan rejoined the band in December 1971[27]to supplement Godchaux on harmonica, percussion, and organ. Although manager Rock Scully alleged that McKernan passed out in front of his Hammond organ at one show during this period, Garcia biographer Blair Jackson has lauded the quality and frequency of his instrumental contributions on theEurope '72tour.[54][55]Once again, however, his health deteriorated to the point where he could no longer perform. On June 17, 1972, at theHollywood Bowl,he made his final concert appearance.[56]He subsequently broke off all personal relationships with the band, explaining "I don't want you around when I die."[57]

While Jackson has asserted that McKernan "didn't drink for the last 17 months of his life" in conjunction with an effort to ameliorate his health,[58]Grateful Dead tour managerSam Cutlerlater maintained that he "[made] sure [McKernan] had booze" on theEurope '72tour.[59]According toDavid Browne,McKernan "[lived] on sunflower seeds and alcohol" in the final months of his life.[60]

On March 8, 1973,aged 27,he was found dead of agastrointestinal hemorrhageat his home inCorte Madera, California,by his landlady.[57]Though his contributions to the band had slowly diminished over the years, the other members were devastated at his death.[61]McKernan was buried at theAlta Mesa Memorial ParkinPalo Alto, California.[56][b]Garcia spoke at his funeral, saying "After Pigpen's death we all knew this was the end of the original Grateful Dead".[61]

Legacy

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Despite his outward image, friends and band biographers have described McKernan as a quiet, kind, and introspective person. Hart later said "Pigpen was themusicianin the Grateful Dead. "[4]Kreutzmann said McKernan was "the sweetest guy anybody had ever met."[62]

Weir later became influenced by McKernan's ability to work a crowd and improvise lyrics. He took over de facto frontman duties in concert and began to reintroduce material originally chosen by McKernan into the Dead's live set after his death.[63][64]Weir began singing "Good Lovin'"with the Dead in 1974, and the group recorded the song on 1978'sShakedown Street.[37]"Turn On Your Love Light" was revived in 1981, with Weir singing lead. He also revived the 1960s standard "Big Boy Pete", originally sung by McKernan, as a one-off in 1985.[65]Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man",recorded by the group onGrateful Dead (Skull and Roses)with McKernan singing lead, was revived by Garcia and performed occasionally through the 1980s and 90s.[66]

"He's Gone", originally appearing on the live albumEurope '72,subsequently became a eulogy to McKernan by his former bandmates. Hunter said "it became an anthem for Pigpen".[67]

McKernan was posthumously inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1994.[68]

Discography

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^By co-incidence, both died at theage of 27—Joplin died of aheroin overdosein October 1970.[46]
  2. ^Plot: Hillview Section 16 Lot 374[56]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^abcStanton 2003,p. 102.
  2. ^Umanzor, Joel (August 6, 2023)."Deadheads Converge for Jerry Day in San Francisco".The San Francisco Standard.Archived fromthe originalon December 3, 2023.RetrievedApril 16,2024.
  3. ^abScully 2001,p. 24.
  4. ^abcdeTrager 1997,p. 260.
  5. ^Jarnow, Jesse."American Beauty 50: Operator (Supplemental Materials)".dead.net.The Grateful Dead.
  6. ^abSclafani 2013,p. 185.
  7. ^Lavezzoli 2006,p. 83.
  8. ^Scully 2001,p. 26.
  9. ^Scully 2001,pp. 23–24.
  10. ^Room 2010,p. 380.
  11. ^Hollow 2009,p. 30.
  12. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 1.
  13. ^Sclafani 2013,p. 187.
  14. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 2.
  15. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 28.
  16. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 42.
  17. ^abcSclafani 2013,p. 188.
  18. ^Scully 2001,pp. 150, 154, 155.
  19. ^abcdSclafani 2013,p. 189.
  20. ^Scully 2001,p. 151.
  21. ^abJackson 1999,p. 156.
  22. ^Kreutzmann & Eisen 2015,p. 95.
  23. ^Jackson 1999,p. 157.
  24. ^abScully 2001,p. 155.
  25. ^Trager 1997,p. 151.
  26. ^Scully 2001,p. 208.
  27. ^abJackson 1999,p. 226.
  28. ^Jackson, Blair (November 21, 2018).Grateful Dead Gear: The Band's Instruments, Sound Systems, and Recording Sessions from 1965 to 1995.Hal Leonard Corporation.ISBN9780879308933– via Google Books.
  29. ^abcAshes, Light Into (February 29, 2016)."Grateful Dead Guide: The Vox and the Hammond, 1967-1969".
  30. ^Grateful Dead (August 19, 1970)."Grateful Dead Live at Fillmore West on 1970-08-19"– via Internet Archive.
  31. ^Sclafani 2013,p. 192.
  32. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 17.
  33. ^Malvinni 2013,pp. 17, 44.
  34. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 57.
  35. ^Perone 2005,pp. 120–121.
  36. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 60.
  37. ^abTrager 1997,p. 145.
  38. ^"American Beauty – Grateful Dead".AllMusic.RetrievedJuly 14,2015.
  39. ^"Europe '72 – Grateful Dead".AllMusic.RetrievedJuly 14,2015.
  40. ^Sclafani 2013,pp. 191–192.
  41. ^Sounes 2013,p. 95.
  42. ^abSclafani 2013,p. 191.
  43. ^Bonhams Auctioneers (May 8, 2007)."Lot Details".Bonhams.com.RetrievedMarch 22,2009.
  44. ^"June 7, 1969".dead.net (Grateful Dead official website). June 8, 2007.RetrievedJuly 14,2015.
  45. ^"July 16, 1970".dead.net (Grateful Dead official website). April 3, 2007.RetrievedJuly 14,2015.
  46. ^"Obituary: Janis Joplin".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 13,2016.
  47. ^Conners 2013,p. 91.
  48. ^Trager 1997,p. 152.
  49. ^Kreutzmann & Eisen 2015,p. 79.
  50. ^"The Grateful Dead Did Get It: Reporters and Cops".Rolling Stone.No. 1. November 9, 1967.RetrievedSeptember 14,2015.
  51. ^Lifton, Dave (January 31, 2015)."45 Years Ago: The Grateful Dead's InfamousTruckinDrug Bust ".Classic Rock Magazine.RetrievedSeptember 16,2015.
  52. ^Trager 1997,p. 261.
  53. ^Trager 1997,p. 142.
  54. ^Scully 2001,p. 212.
  55. ^"Blair's Golden Road Blog - The Keyboardist Question - Grateful Dead".www.dead.net.August 25, 2023.
  56. ^abcStanton 2003,p. 103.
  57. ^abSounes 2013,p. 96.
  58. ^""Pigpen Forever: The Life and Times of Ron McKernan" by Blair Jackson ".1993.
  59. ^Browne, David (April 28, 2015).So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead.Da Capo Press.ISBN9780306821707.
  60. ^Browne, David (April 28, 2015).So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead.Da Capo Press.ISBN9780306821707.
  61. ^abScully 2001,p. 230.
  62. ^Kreutzmann & Eisen 2015,p. 58.
  63. ^Trager 1997,p. 399.
  64. ^Malvinni 2013,p. 260.
  65. ^Trager 1997,pp. 38, 378.
  66. ^Trager 1997,p. 37.
  67. ^Trager 1997,p. 176.
  68. ^"The Grateful Dead".Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.RetrievedJanuary 2,2008.

General sources

[edit]
  • Conners, Peter (2013).JAMerica: The History of the Jam Band and Festival Scene.Da Capo Press.ISBN978-0-306-82066-3.
  • Hollow, Michele (2009).Grateful Dead: What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been.Enslow.ISBN978-0-766-03028-2.
  • Jackson, Blair (1999).Garcia: An American Life.Penguin Books.ISBN978-0-140-29199-5.
  • Kreutzmann, Bill; Eisen, Benjy (2015).Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead.St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-1-250-03380-2.
  • Lavezzoli, Peter (2006).The Dawn of Indian Music in the West.A&C Black.ISBN978-0-826-41815-9.
  • Malvinni, David (2013).Grateful Dead and the Art of Rock Improvisation.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN978-0-810-88255-3.
  • Perone, James (2005).Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair.Greenwood.ISBN978-0-313-33057-5.
  • Room, Adrian (2010).Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed.McFarland.ISBN978-0-786-45763-2.
  • Sclafani, Tony (2013).The Grateful Dead FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Greatest Jam Band in History.Hal Leonard.ISBN978-1-617-13582-8.
  • Scully, Rock (2001).Living with the Dead: Twenty Years on the Bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead.Cooper Square Press.ISBN978-1-461-66113-9.
  • Sounes, Howard (2013).27: A History of the 27 Club through the Lives of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.Da Capo Press.ISBN978-0-306-82169-1.
  • Stanton, Scott (2003).The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians.Simon and Schuster.ISBN978-0-743-46330-0.
  • Trager, Oliver (1997).The American Book of the Dead.Simon and Schuster.ISBN978-0-684-81402-5.
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