Any Grateful Dead fans....

xStonr · June 4th, 2006, 01:53 PM

Another keyboard player passed away.

Grateful Dead keyboard player Vince Welnick dies
By Sara Wykes
Mercury News

Vince Welnick, 55, who played keyboards with the Grateful Dead for five years before the death of band founder Jerry Garcia, died Friday.( 6/2/06)

Sonoma County sheriffs said he was taken, injured, from his home in rural Forestville near Santa Rosa, to a local hospital.

He died there, police said.

An unofficial spokesman at the Welnick home said, ``It looks like he took his own life.'' But that is not known for sure, he said. ``The family is very grieved, and trying to figure it all out.''

Welnick arrived in San Francisco in 1971 from his hometown of Phoenix, Ariz., already a keyboardist with a group called the Beans. The Beans became the Tubes and in 1983 their song ``She's a Beauty'' was a hit.

Welnick played with Todd Rundgren after the Tubes broke up, and in 1990, was invited to try out for the Dead.

Welnick told an interviewer with the Vermont Review that the tryout was exciting. Before he played, the band sent him tapes and CDs, but he didn't have a CD player. He practiced in the hayloft of his barn and then waited for two weeks before he heard he was in.

``That fact that I screamed a lot as a child paid off and got me into the Grateful Dead,'' he told the paper. At his first concert with the band, a sound man jumped on his piano seat to test his microphone and broke the seat into 100 hundred pieces, Welnick said.

``I was somewhat paralyzed playing at first. I remember . . . thinking to myself: `Come on fingers, let's get unstuck. Let's get loose here.' Then I heard this ripple in the audience and there was a kid who yelled, `Welcome Brother Vince!' and there were stickers that said, `Yo Vinnie' stuck to the side of my keyboard. The crowd was very forgiving.''

He told the interviewer that he'd never seen the likes of such music, friendship and spirit and did not know if he ever would again.

As a member of the Dead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He was scheduled to play the House of Blues in Chicago later this month, according to a Web site devoted to his career.

Chip · June 4th, 2006, 03:16 PM

It's a long long long long way to go home
It's a long long long long way to go home
Any which way you are tempted to roam
It's a long long long long long long way
Way to go home

just sad

captain gorgeous · June 4th, 2006, 04:52 PM

just got out of the shower where i was serenading the rest of the house with my rendition of friend of the devil.

sad news.

Oster · June 4th, 2006, 05:19 PM

He was a great, eccentric, choice for The Dead's final years.

I liked the Tubes too!

Charlie Bernstein · June 4th, 2006, 06:42 PM

...is playing keys for the dead.

vince was truly weird and will be truly missed.

eddiewagner · June 5th, 2006, 05:59 AM

sad story. i love the music of the dead so much, but all this tragedy in the band really casts a black shadow over the whole picture.

jhundt · June 5th, 2006, 11:36 AM

I never saw him play with the Dead, but I saw him with the Tubes several times. too bad, we lose another one.

June 4th, 2006, 01:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
xStonr Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lost in the Ozone....again Posts: 1,616 4 Photos	Any Grateful Dead fans.... Another keyboard player passed away. Grateful Dead keyboard player Vince Welnick dies By Sara Wykes Mercury News Vince Welnick, 55, who played keyboards with the Grateful Dead for five years before the death of band founder Jerry Garcia, died Friday.( 6/2/06) Sonoma County sheriffs said he was taken, injured, from his home in rural Forestville near Santa Rosa, to a local hospital. He died there, police said. An unofficial spokesman at the Welnick home said, ``It looks like he took his own life.'' But that is not known for sure, he said. ``The family is very grieved, and trying to figure it all out.'' Welnick arrived in San Francisco in 1971 from his hometown of Phoenix, Ariz., already a keyboardist with a group called the Beans. The Beans became the Tubes and in 1983 their song ``She's a Beauty'' was a hit. Welnick played with Todd Rundgren after the Tubes broke up, and in 1990, was invited to try out for the Dead. Welnick told an interviewer with the Vermont Review that the tryout was exciting. Before he played, the band sent him tapes and CDs, but he didn't have a CD player. He practiced in the hayloft of his barn and then waited for two weeks before he heard he was in. ``That fact that I screamed a lot as a child paid off and got me into the Grateful Dead,'' he told the paper. At his first concert with the band, a sound man jumped on his piano seat to test his microphone and broke the seat into 100 hundred pieces, Welnick said. ``I was somewhat paralyzed playing at first. I remember . . . thinking to myself: `Come on fingers, let's get unstuck. Let's get loose here.' Then I heard this ripple in the audience and there was a kid who yelled, `Welcome Brother Vince!' and there were stickers that said, `Yo Vinnie' stuck to the side of my keyboard. The crowd was very forgiving.'' He told the interviewer that he'd never seen the likes of such music, friendship and spirit and did not know if he ever would again. As a member of the Dead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was scheduled to play the House of Blues in Chicago later this month, according to a Web site devoted to his career.

June 4th, 2006, 03:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
Chip Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Medina, Ohio Age: 42 Posts: 263	It's a long long long long way to go home It's a long long long long way to go home Any which way you are tempted to roam It's a long long long long long long way Way to go home just sad __________________ Jemima Surrender, I'm gonna give it to you, I'll bring over my Fender And I'll play all night for you. L.Helm and J.R.Robertson

June 4th, 2006, 04:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
captain gorgeous Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Angel, North London Posts: 1,918 38 Photos	just got out of the shower where i was serenading the rest of the house with my rendition of friend of the devil. sad news. __________________ "What is it with chimpanzees and that middle parting? It's so 1920s." www.myspace.com/daddylonglegsuk http://www.myspace.com/thetacticians

June 4th, 2006, 05:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
Oster Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Latveria Age: 40 Posts: 2,855	He was a great, eccentric, choice for The Dead's final years. I liked the Tubes too! __________________ Cassowary!

June 4th, 2006, 06:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
Charlie Bernstein Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Augusta, Maine Posts: 4,344	the most dangerous job in the music business... ...is playing keys for the dead. vince was truly weird and will be truly missed.

June 5th, 2006, 05:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
eddiewagner Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ROCK!linghausen/germany Age: 51 Posts: 5,287 27 Photos	sad story. i love the music of the dead so much, but all this tragedy in the band really casts a black shadow over the whole picture. __________________ My Drum/Guitar-Duo: www.myspace.com/captaintwangandhisrhythmcat

June 5th, 2006, 11:36 AM	#7 (permalink)
jhundt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Netherlands Age: 55 Posts: 4,287 14 Photos	he was way cool w/ the Tubes I never saw him play with the Dead, but I saw him with the Tubes several times. too bad, we lose another one.

IMPORTANT:Treat everyone here with respect, no matter how difficult! No sex, drug, political, religion or hate discussion permitted here.