Introducing 27 Club Season 5: Ron "Pigpen" McKernan

Hey, Dear Young Rocker fans! Listen to Season 5 of the 27 Club to hear the insane details behind the life of one of rock's greatest icons — ​​Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. A founding member of the Grateful Dead. Pigpen wasn't just a member of the Dead. He was the Dead. But just like Brian Jones in the Rolling Stones or Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd, Pigpen felt his role in the Grateful Dead shrink as the rest of the band members expanded their minds and their sound. The story of Pigpen is about a major musical and cultural shift that took place as the 1960s gave way to the 1970s. It’s a story of acid tests and bottles of Thunderbird, of angels from hell and a nine-fingered wizard, of busts down on Bourbon Street and shakedowns in the Haight…and of the man who tried to pull his band back down to earth as they continued to get pulled higher into the cosmos. It's a story that ends tragically...at the age of 27. Listen and subscribe to 27 Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Dear Young Rocker is a scripted non-fiction storytelling and audio memoir podcast featuring stories from women and trans musicians. In seasons 1 and 2, host/creator Chelsea Ursin tells her own story of finding an outlet for anxiety and her place in the world via falling in love with listening to and playing rock music. Along the way she writes letters of advice to her younger self on topics from mental health to relationships. In season 3, guest musicians are invited to tell their stories and write to their own younger selves.