The last photo ever taken of Pigpen
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Bob Seidemann:
“It was obvious to everybody Pigpen was dying. I photographed him a few days before he died and he was so weak he had to be helped from the front door of his place to the car. I wanted to do one more picture of Pig with the Dead, so I picked him up and we drove out to Bolinas where they were rehearsing. I said, ‘Look, I’ve got Pig here. Let’s go outside and do a picture.’ And everybody just said, ‘Uh, no, Bob. Thumbs down.’ So I put Pig back in the car and on the way back he said, ‘Seidemann, will you take my picture?’… It was a sad moment when those cats wouldn’t do it, and I had to drag Pig back to his apartment.”
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Strangha
Wow. They couldn't be
Wow. They couldn't be bothered? Sad behavior. Anyone know why wouldn't they do it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
Never heard that story before
Never heard that story before. Here is John Barlow's statement after Vince's death, which seems to pick up on that attitude:
"The Dreadful Great, among our other bad habits, had a reliable propensity for killing off keyboard players. It was a kind of ritual sacrifice, I suppose, but the really terrible aspect of these departures was the bottomless sorrow that drove out of the physical world Ron “Pigpen” Mckernen, Keith Godshaux, Brent Midland, and now, on June 2, Vince Welnick.
* * *
As a culture, we were never big on emotional vulnerability. Like a caribou herd, we had learned, over a long period of time, to leave our cripples behind on the tundra rather than risk the entire local genome. That’s life, Dude. Devil take the hindmost."
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: billionyearoldcarbon
wow
wow
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
I've heard this story before,
I've heard this story before, to me, very sad. The "why's" will only be ugly rumors unless one of the living guys who was there tells one of you firsthand.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ismelltoadsmoke
March 5th, 1973, maybe, when
March 5th, 1973, maybe, when this pic was taken. i remember reading a short quip from an article about coke entering the scene and Mountain Girl said it like it was, coke ruined everything and was the beginning of the end. She said that socialization stopped bc everyone was wandering off here and there to go do a line bc it's my coke. Only guessing, but i'd bet there was plenty of coke for anyone who wanted it in any amount in that group in '73. Or maybe not, and those who wanted it had to do without. Either way, and we all know this, that shit turns anyone into a self-centered, thoughtless asshole quickly.
******** I would like to read or hear from the remaining members who were there that day and participated in that send-off.*********
The saddest part isn't just what they did to a founding member, the saddest part is this: ‘Seidemann, will you take my picture?’ ................the moment he realized what he really meant to the people he spent the most time with. Fuck!!!!!!!!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: billionyearoldcarbon
I think for my own mental
I think for my own mental status I'm going to file this under 'there is likely much more info to this story that would very likely soften its corners.' On the surface with minimal details it just seems brutal.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ismelltoadsmoke
^unfortunately, it seems to
^unfortunately, it seems to be coming from a very reliable source who was there.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Dennis McNally:
Dennis McNally:
"'Early in March they were rehearsing at the Stinson Beach Community Center when an old friend, photographer Bob Seidemann, stopped by with Pigpen. He had asked Bob for a ride so that he could have his picture taken with the band. In Seidemann's view, 'They coldly put him down, turned him away. They pecked him.' As far as the others knew, they all expected him to recover... They didn't want to be distracted, and Pig went on home."
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Localcountyline
Lotta water under the bridge,
Lotta water under the bridge, lotta other stuff too....
Thanks for posting that Bss, I was going to say I'm pretty sure they were
rehearsing in Stinson not Bolinas......
I've found myself in a couple awkward situations asking Weir about sensitive stuff similar to this....
Not real fun; there is definitely some darkness in the history of the band...but we all know this.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
It's ironic that Jerry was
It's ironic that Jerry was forming Old & In The Way at this time, with the song "Pig In A Pen" a main song of their repertoire.
That photo is so very poignant. After it was taken, he went home and died all alone. To be fair to the rest of the band, this was his wish, as he stated "I don't want you around when I die." Those had to have been hard times for everyone. Amazing that they were able to produce such a beautiful album as Wake Of The Flood.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ismelltoadsmoke
>>>That photo is so very
>>>That photo is so very poignant.
It is. And with this story, more understandably why.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: billionyearoldcarbon
I guess the crux is whether
I guess the crux is whether as McNally states the band expected him to recover at that point. My question would be was there a point into Pigpens demise that death was assured, or was most of the inner circle hopeful for a recovery right up until no recovery was possible. Seidemann states it was obvious to everybody Pigpen was dying and McNally states the band expected him to recover. Both can't be true.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Billy basically says yes,
Billy basically says yes, both are true
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Dave
There is no way 2 know for
There is no way 2 know for sure, but it sure seems like everyone kind of knew.
Bill states "Death is always a surprise. Your mind never gets accustomed to those phone calls and your body never adapts to handling that kind of news. It's always a shock, even when you know it's coming. I think I knew it was coming. "But still..."
Seems like others also new that Pig was very sick, but perhaps hoped against hope that (perhaps) maybe things would change. Facing the potential demise of a 'family' member is always a brutal process. That said, even on the European tour most folks seemed to know full well that things where not going well.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: billionyearoldcarbon
Sounds like it was obvious to
Sounds like it was obvious to all that Pigpen was seriously ill, but not obvious that death was right around the corner. He was young and younger adults can make some very impressive comebacks from serious illness.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
We really have no idea. Yes
We really have no idea. Yes maybe they didn't want to be around someone who was dying or just really sick, but they also may have wanted to keep him away from the party going on in the house after seeing him destroy himself to the point that he was dying. Patience runs out...