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
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 Close Down Haight Street For Free Concert, On This Day In 1968 (Live for Live Music)
Jerry Garcia 1967 interview
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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Presenting Disgraceland: Icons (Trailer)
Introducing: Amplify Color
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 10: Good, Old, Grateful, and Dead
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 9: Conquering Europe, Wasting Away, and Making a Last Stand
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 8: Turning off the Love Light, Long-Awaited Redemption, and a Deadly Diagnosis
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 7: Busted Down on Bourbon Street, Workingman’s Dead, and Riding that Train
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (Episode 6): Coming Down from One Long Strange Trip, Awakening to a New Nightmare, and Shooting up a Led Zep Photo Shoot
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 4: Rushed in the Studio, A Midnight Hour Secret, and Busted Down on Ashbury Street
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 3: Soundtracking the Scene, Caught in the Lovelight, and Unknowingly Dosed
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 2: A Life-Changing Car Crash, Mind Experiments, and Hanging onto the Blues
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 1: Fueled by Thunderbird, Taught by a Nine-Fingered Wizard, and Saving Woodstock
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Episode 0: 27 Club Season 5 Official Trailer
Amy Winehouse Episode 10: What Really Happened to Amy Winehouse?
Amy Winehouse Episode 9: A Long Day’s Journey into an Eternal Nightmare
Amy Winehouse Episode 8: A Cocaine Overdose in the Bathtub, a Body in the Mirror, and Hacked by the Press
Amy Winehouse Episode 7: The Only Rule Is That There Are No Rules
Amy Winehouse Episode 6: Nursing Rodents, Mortifying the Fairy Godmother, and Hitting the Harder Stuff
Amy Winehouse Episode 5: First Impressions with Mark Ronson, Hitting the Paparazzi Where It Hurts, and an Out of Control Hurricane
Amy Winehouse Episode 4: Booed from the Stage, a Brawl with a Burlesque Dancer, and an Effigy in a Pool of Blood
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