Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Episode 5: Biting the Hand that Feeds You, Fired from the Band, and Drinking the Dosed Coffee
As Haight-Ashbury devolved from a counterculture mecca to a commodified tourist haven, and the Grateful Dead searched for the perfect sound to complement their continued evolution, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan found that his musical contributions were becoming obsolete. It wasn't long before he had to face the fact that the he was finally losing control of the group he had created.
Sources:
A Long Strange Trip: The Inside Story of the Grateful Dead, by Dennis McNally
Searching for the Sound, by Phil Lesh
Grateful Dead Close Down Haight Street For Free Concert, On This Day In 1968 (Live for Live Music)
Haight-Ashbury “Hippie Hop” bus
Grateful Dead: Anthem of the Sun and American Beauty (Classic Albums)
1967: Grateful Dead visit the Warnecke Ranch (Chalkhill Residency)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0iULSnZUkg
Grateful Dead's 'Anthem of the Sun': 10 Things You Didn't Know (Rolling Stone)
The 1967 letter from a record executive that said The Grateful Dead had "many problems" (Far Out)
Internet Archive Forums: 1968 - The Firing (part I)
Grateful Dead Guide: 1968 - The Firing (Dead Essays)
The moment when The Grateful Dead dosed the 'Playboy After Dark' crew (Far Out)
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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.
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