3/8/73 Pigpen dies in Corte Madera, CA at age 27
Cause of death was hepatic hemorrhage. Contributing factors were alcohol and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective-tissue disorder.
His grave marker at Alta Mesa Memorial in Palo Alto reads:
"Pigpen Was and Is Now Forever One of the Grateful Dead"
Pigpen is my brother in more ways than one. He came from a working class background, was a driving force in the formation and booking of the Grateful Dead. Jerry brought old timey roots, Phil brought classical and jazz and Pigpen brought rhythm and blues, soul and grit. To me he was the heart, Phil the head and Jerry the will.
One thing he and I share is our alcoholism. There are many more opportunities to get into recovery now than there was then. In addition, I believe recovery is especially challenging for the successful artist. Recovery for the alcoholic is dependent upon ego deflation. The alcohol and drug addictions make this difficult enough, having created an inflated ego based upon delusion and fear. The artist, and probably performers in particular are constantly being told how great they are. This adds fuel to the delusion driving the false sense of ego. The ego reaches such a state that one truly believes they are god, that the universe revolves around them. One can be quite successful on the earth plane with this mentality.
Meanwhile, the solvent alcohol, is dissolving everything. Dissolving the health of the mind, body and spirit. Dissolving relationships, jobs, self-esteem, freedom and eventually the organs. And that is what eventually happened to Pigpen. But his Spirit lives on. The gifts he gave us can still be heard. The influence lives in many musicians and listeners, for without Pigpen there probably would not have been a Grateful Dead. Now that is hard to imagine.
Ron McKernan Biography
1945 9/08 Ron McKernan is born in San Bruno, CA
1962 Pigpen meets Jerry on the San Mateo Peninsula coffeehouse circuit
~ Bill hears Jerry, Pigpen, & Hunter play at the Tangent in Palo Alto
1963 The Second Story Men formed
Zodiacs formed
1964 Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions formed
1965 4/?? Warlocks formed
5/05 Magoo's Pizza Parlor first paid Warlocks gig
11/06 Warlocks meet Bill Graham at a Family Dog benefit for the Mime Troupe
12/01 Acid Tests organizer Ken Kesey enlists Warlocks as house band
12/0? Grateful Dead founded in San Francisco
1971 8/26 Pigpen takes a break from touring for health reasons
12/01 Pigpen returns to touring
1972 5/26 Pigpen sings for the last time, in London
6/17 Pigpen leaves the band due to declining health
1973 3/08 Pigpen dies in Corte Madera, CA at age 27
1994 1/19 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts the Grateful Dead
Peace and Health,
Alan
1 comment:
Dear Al,
I read your piece on Pigpen and am moved by how deeply he touched your life and everyone who tuned into the Dead. I am so grateful that you allowed yourself to face the dire consequences of continuing in the direction unaddressed addiction leads. I am so grateful for your dicision to turn your life over to the care of God and the influence your radical recovery has had on me, forcing me to step off into the unknown and surrender as well. I am so grateful for the shedding of the skin of our old way of relating and the miraculous new unfoldings and possibilities between us and the world. Thank you Alan and Thank you God/Goddess. Blessings, Love and Peace, Ellen
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