27 Club

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 9: Conquering Europe, Wasting Away, and Making a Last Stand


Listen Later

Against doctor’s orders, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan hit the road one more time with the Grateful Dead. The band’s 1972 tour of Europe is legendary. But at the time, Pigpen was just trying to stay above ground. You could hear it in his voice when he took the mic onstage. Close your eyes and his voice was a window into the past. But listen closer, and you’d hear something else. Something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. A distance. Some pain. Truth was, Pigpen was on borrowed time.

Sources:

A Long Strange Trip: The Inside Story of the Grateful Dead, by Dennis McNally

Living with The Dead: Twenty Years on the Bus with Garcia and the Grateful Dead, by Rock Scully with David Dalton

Searching for the Sound, by Phil Lesh

The Grateful Dead FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Greatest Jam Band in History, by Tony Sclafani

This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead, by Blair Jackson and David Gans

Grateful Dead live at Chateau D’Herouville, France, 6/6/1971 (YouTube)

Château d'Hérouville: The Castle Studio Where Bowie, Elton, and Pink Floyd Recorded (Reverb)

June 21, 1971: Herouville, France (Dead Sources)

Grateful Dead at the The Honky Chateau (06-21-71) (Holiday at the Sea)

Grateful Dead live at the Fillmore East, 4/28/1971

April 1972: Weir & Pigpen Interview (Dead Sources)

Donna Jean Godchaux interview (YouTube)

The Lasting Impact, and Sudden Death, of the Grateful Dead's Keith Godchaux (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Enter Keith Godchaux (Dead.net)

Donna Jean MacKay 3/28/98 (Levity)

Grateful Dead live at the Boston Music Hall, 12/2/1971

April 1972: Weir & Pigpen Interview (Dead Sources)

Grateful Dead live at the Hollywood Bowl, 6/17/1972

Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions - Top of the Tangent (1964) (The Savage Saints)

For behind the scenes info and news on this episode, follow:

Instagram: @DoubleElvis @Disgracelandpod 

Twitter: @DoubleElvisFm @Disgracelandpod

Tik Tok: @Disgracelandpod

Pinterest: @doubleelvisfm 

Facebook: Double Elvis Productions

Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and many more musical icons all died at the age of 27. Scandalous, tortured, dramatic, and incredibly talented, these artists torched a wild path to their early graves and shifted and shaped our culture along the way. 27 Club tells their stories. 27 Club is hosted and created by Jake Brennan, host and creator of the award-winning music and true crime podcast DISGRACELAND. 27 Club is not a journalistic podcast. It is an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. For more shows like 27 Club, check out www.doubleelvis.com. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

27 ClubBy iHeartPodcasts and Double Elvis

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,588 ratings


More shows like 27 Club

View all
The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

The Joe Rogan Experience

225,496 Listeners

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

10,254 Listeners

48 Hours by CBS News

48 Hours

10,938 Listeners

Casefile True Crime by Casefile Presents

Casefile True Crime

37,699 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

110,824 Listeners

And That's Why We Drink by Christine Schiefer, Em Schulz

And That's Why We Drink

23,473 Listeners

RedHanded by Wondery | RedHanded

RedHanded

12,487 Listeners

DISGRACELAND by Double Elvis Productions

DISGRACELAND

12,901 Listeners

Ologies with Alie Ward by Alie Ward

Ologies with Alie Ward

23,898 Listeners

Mafia by Audioboom Studios

Mafia

2,768 Listeners

Forensic Files by HLN

Forensic Files

3,649 Listeners

Dear Young Rocker by Chelsea Ursin

Dear Young Rocker

430 Listeners

Dateline NBC by NBC News

Dateline NBC

47,190 Listeners

Radio Rental by Tenderfoot TV & Audacy

Radio Rental

32,516 Listeners

Citizen Critic by iHeartPodcasts & Double Elvis

Citizen Critic

245 Listeners

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS Season 4: The Brian Wilson Story by iHeartPodcasts and Double Elvis

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS Season 4: The Brian Wilson Story

281 Listeners

About A Girl by Double Elvis

About A Girl

406 Listeners

HOLLYWOODLAND by Double Elvis

HOLLYWOODLAND

1,559 Listeners

Here Comes the Break by iHeartPodcasts and Double Elvis

Here Comes the Break

233 Listeners

Curious Creatures by Lol Tolhurst & Budgie

Curious Creatures

151 Listeners

Betrayal: Weekly by iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts

Betrayal: Weekly

7,431 Listeners