Vince Welnick
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Vince Welnick (February 21, 1951 – June 2, 2006) was an American keyboardist, best known for playing for the Grateful Dead from 1990 until their end in 1995.
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[edit] Musical career
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Welnick started playing keyboards as a teenager; he joined a band — The Beans — which eventually morphed into The Tubes, a San Francisco-based theater rock band, popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, legendary for early live performances that combined lewd quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism and politics.
The Tubes in the 1980s were a major commercial rock act with substantial MTV success. Videos for rock classics "Talk To Ya Later" and "She's A Beauty" played in heavy rotation on the MTV network for years in the mid-1980s. While playing in the Tubes, he also played with Todd Rundgren.
When Brent Mydland, keyboardist of the Grateful Dead, died of a drug overdose on 26 July 1990, and after auditioning several players, including Pete Sears and Tony Lavitz, Welnick was selected, not least for his high vocal range for backup harmonies. His AP obituary mentioned he was so nervous at his first gig with the band in 1990 in Cleveland that he could barely play, until the fans put him at ease. He remained as the legendary band's keyboard player until Jerry Garcia's death in August 1995, when the group disbanded. During a stint with Ratdog, Vince became very depressed with the loss of Jerry Garcia and he attempted suicide about six months after Garcia's death, effectively ending any future creative interaction between him and what was left of the Grateful Dead. In 2002 Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh regrouped under the name The Dead. Welnick was apparently not asked to participate, a fact that troubled him, according to musician Mike Lawson, who oversees Welnick's website.
Subsequently, he became involved in solo efforts, formed and played in the band Missing Man Formation, and had a brief stint with the Mickey Hart Band.
Welnick is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
[edit] Death
Vince Welnick died on June 2, 2006. "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." [1]
On June 7, 2006 the Sonoma County coroner confirmed his death as suicide. [2] Songwriter John Perry Barlow, on his website, spoke of the 'appalling' manner in which it was carried out.
An article in the June 30, 2006 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle states that Welnick died when he "drew a knife across his throat." [3]
[edit] Tributes
On June 9, 2006 Ratdog played "Way To Go Home" for the first time as a tribute to Welnick at the Sonoma County fairgrounds.
Former Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten took up the keys for the "Vince Welnick and Friends Tour" that was scheduled before his death. They played many Vince Welnick staples including "Samba in the Rain". A very touching "He Was a Friend of Mine" was also played in honor of Welnick. On the second night of the tour they stopped in St. Louis and the opener The Schwag, who Welnick had played with before, did "Turn on Your Love Light" and dedicated it to Welnick with some improvised lyrics about Welnick and his life, which was said to have touched the crowd.
[edit] External references and links
- Grateful Dead keyboard player Vince Welnick dies (apparent suicide)
- Grateful Dead musician dies at 55 BBC News - Grateful Dead musician dies at 55
- Vince Welnick website
- Vince Welnick 1995 Interview with the Memphis Flyer
- "Welnick dies", Grateful Dead Website, 2006-06-02. Retrieved on 2006-06-03.
- Allmusic.com Vince Welnick article
- San Francisco Chronicle "Grateful Dead's last keyboardist, Vince Welnick, dies at 55" June 3 2006
- Urban Tulsa "Healing begins as “Friends” pay tribute to their musical companion and mentor" June 16 2006
- San Francisco Chronicle "Vince Welnick lived the dream, playing music with the Grateful Dead, but depression dogged him to his final days" June 30 2006
