EXTREMELY RARE GRATEFUL DEAD ALBUM PAGE FEATURING THE ELUSIVE ‘PIGPEN”
A highly unusual pink album page featuring the five early Grateful Dead members (pre-Mickey Hart), including: Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir, Billy Kreutzman and Pig Pen. Signatures are in black and in blue ink. Measures approximately 5.5″ x 5″. Ronald Charles McKernan (September 8, 1945 – March 8, 1973), known as Pigpen, was a founding member of the Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. McKernan grew up heavily influenced by African-American music, particularly the blues, and enjoyed listening to his father’s collection of records and taught himself how to play harmonica and piano. McKernan suggested to Jerry Garcia that they form an electric group, which became the Grateful Dead. He was the band’s original frontman and played harmonica and electric organ, but Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh’s influences on the band became increasingly stronger as they embraced psychedelic rock. McKernan struggled to keep up with the changing music, causing the group to hire keyboardist Tom Constenin, 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.
Unlike the other members of the Grateful Dead, McKernan avoided drugs, preferring to drink alcohol. By 1971, his health had been affected by alcoholism and liver damage and 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 on March 8, 1973, aged 27.
