Grateful Dead keyboardist dies

Breitbart/Reuters ^ | Sat Jun 3, 2006

[Liberty Valance]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Vince Welnick, who took over as the Grateful Dead's keyboard player in 1990 after a succession of predecessors met untimely deaths, has died at the age of 55, according to an announcement on his Web site.

"Vince passed from this earth on June 2, 2006 ... after a decade of battling tragedy while creating beauty and light around him," the announcement said. It did not give a cause of death.

The San Jose Mercury News said he died in a hospital on Friday after being taken from his home in Forestville, California, and it quoted a person at his home as saying "it looks like he took his own life."

Welnick had previously spoken of a deep depression after Jerry Garcia, founding guitarist of the iconic psychedelic rock band, died in 1995 and the group disbanded.

Welnick is the fourth keyboard player for the band to have died, and his Web site referred to the position as a "particularly doomed spot."

[Liberty Valance]

At least he didn't die of spontaneous combustion...that we know of.

[Ella Vader]

But did he drown in somebody else's vomit?

[RightWingAtheist]

Never much of a Grateful Dead fan, but RIP just the same.

[toddlintown]

"It did not give a cause of death."

Gee. I wonder why?

[Liberty Valance]

[atomicpossum]

Is he still grateful, though?

[Liberty Valance]

"...it quoted a person at his home as saying "it looks like he took his own life."

[Liberty Valance]

Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick

[tet68]

His WHEEL! IT's turning!

Party on man.

[cardinal4]

I have been a longtime Grateful Dead fan. In fact Im listening to them right now. I was at Vinnies first show in Cleveland in September of 1990. He slid right in and picked up where Brent left off. At first the Band had Hornsby and Vinnie playing together which was fantastic, but when Hornsby left, Vinnie never missed a beat. RIP Vinnie..

[Liberty Valance]

And We Bid You Goodnight

Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest,
Won't you lay your head upon your savior's chest,
I love you all, but Jesus loves you the best
And we bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.

I would never ride, well, I would never ride (goodnight, goodnight)
But His rod and His staff, they comfort me (goodnight, goodnight)
Tell "A" for the ark, that wonderful boat (goodnight, goodnight)
Tell "B" for the beast at the ending of the wood (goodnight, goodnight)
You know it ate all the children when they wouldn't be good,
Walking in Jerusalem just like John (goodnight, goodnight)
I go walking in the valley of the shadow of death,
And we bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.

[andyssister]

That's really nice. I love that song.

RIP Vince.

[cardinal4]

I loved it when they did song. First time I saw them do it live was in Hampton as the Warlocks..

[Gay State Conservative]

Rich showbiz types in this country seem to have a life expectancy that's lower than that of Zimbabwe.

[MotleyGirl70]

I'm not a huge Dead fan, but I did go to one of their shows in '87 and they a put on a great concert.

RIP Vinnie.

[Revelation 911]

"it looks like he took his own life."

does that make him gratefully dead ?

[1rudeboy]

He's still dead, that's for sure.

[martin_fierro]

... after a decade of battling tragedy while creating beauty and light around him

Wonder what that means in English.

[My Favorite Headache]

Bump

[eleni121]

All that weed turned him into a sick prune before his time...Hopefuly with yet another marijuana statistic. people will rethink their deadly obsession with ths dangerous stuff.