This ain't no knock-down, drag-out race. "[2][3] He was also known to Betty Cantor-Jackson, a Grateful Dead sound engineer who produced James and the Good Brothers' debut album in 1970. [5] He added a Fender Rhodes electric piano in mid-1973 and briefly experimented with the Hammond organ again on the band's fall 1973 tour; the Rhodes piano would remain in his setup through 1976. Other members of the Grateful Dead who died too soon were Brent Mydland, Keith Godchaux, Vince Welnick, and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. He and wife Donna Godchaux left the band amicably in 1979 to pursue other interests, to work on their own recordings and form their own band. In his book he writes, "Keith turned into a fire-breathing demon about halfway through the fall [1971] tour—not only following the band effortlessly through all our endlessly bifurcating highways and byways, but grabbing the ball and running with it, leading us into unknown regions and setting the stage for what many heads consider the peak years of the Grateful Dead. Jerry Garcia August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995. "[9] Garcia biographer Blair Jackson has also asserted that "the quality of Keith’s playing in the Dead fell off in ’78 and early ’79. With other artists. Keith Richard Godchaux (July 19, 1948 – July 23, 1980) was a pianist best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1979. The Grateful Dead have played with some really good ones over the years, like Bruce Hornsby and Brent Mydland, but this guy was just outrageous. His gift was the keyboard, the piano itself. [18], Bill Kreutzmann writes about Keith, "He was one of the best, if not the best, keyboardist that I’ve had the honor of playing with. Although a democratic band with multiple “lead” singers, Garcia was considered the leader of the group by most outside the band. Come on honey, let me sing 'em away. After graduating from high school in 1971, played in bands in and around the Bay area, ultimately landing in the Bob Weir Band in 1978. I knew I was related to them. Produced as a vinyl LP, it has not been released on CD. It was charged with a very high voltage, and thus was very cantankerous to set up and use. With the Tubes he played on such FM staples as “Don’t Touch Me There,” “White Punks On Dope,” and the more commercially successful, “Talk To Ya Later” and “She’s A Beauty.” In the early ’90s, Welnick successfully auditioned to replace Brent Mydland in the Grateful Dead. Over 25,000 people attended. Welnick participated in a couple of the splinter groups that formed in the ashes of the Grateful Dead, but apparently nothing felt right. I was looking for something real to get involved with – which wouldn't necessarily be music". Nobody else from the band was around, but almost immediately after I arrived, I knew that Jerry was right—this guy could really play piano."[4]. [13] Following the dissolution of this ensemble, the Godchauxs performed as part of the Jerry Garcia Band from 1976 to 1978. [1] He met and married former FAME Studios session vocalist Donna Jean Thatcher in November 1970; their son Zion, of the band BoomBox, was born in 1974. He maintained a presence in the band's extended orbit, returning intermittently to California to perform alongside Kreutzmann in the Healy-Treece Band (a venture for Dan Healy, the band's longtime live audio engineer) and on at least one occasion with Hunter. He’s an excellent pianist but he didn’t really have a concept of music, of how the piano fit in with the rest of the band. He was really competent too, in that he could pick up whatever Jerry and I started playing that day, and just run with it. It was performed live six times, all in 1973. Vince Welnick first rose to fame as the keyboard player for the cult fave rock band, the Tubes during the ’70s and ’80s. Come on honey, let me sing 'em away. Find the latest tracks, albums, and images from Keith Godchaux. I guess the worst thing you could say about later-period Keith is that he was just taking up sonic space in the Dead’s overall sound. On Keith & Donna, both of the Godchauxs sing lead and backing vocals, and Keith plays various keyboard instruments. The secret weapon was keyboardist Keith Godchaux, Donna Jean’s husband, who’d joined the band in 1971. [14] He also formed The Ghosts (later rechristened The Heart of Gold Band) with his wife; this Bay Area-based aggregation eventually came to include a young Steve Kimock on guitar. Take a listen to the beginning of Keith Godchaux’s musical journey with the Grateful Dead with a complete soundboard recording of the band’s October 19th, 1971 concert at Northrop Auditorium. Did this affect the others? Garden Aud., Vancouver Canada, Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C., July 12 & 13, 1989, Pacific Northwest '73–'74: The Complete Recordings, Pacific Northwest '73–'74: Believe It If You Need It, Playing in the Band, Seattle, Washington, 5/21/74, The Warfield, San Francisco, California, October 9 & 10, 1980, Skeletons from the Closet: The Best of Grateful Dead, Dead Zone: The Grateful Dead CD Collection (1977–1987), All the Years Combine: The DVD Collection, Dead Ringers: The Making of Touch of Grey, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead 1987 Tour, Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead, Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead, The Music Never Stopped: Roots of the Grateful Dead, Pure Jerry: Theatre 1839, San Francisco, July 29 & 30, 1977, Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, New York City, October 31, 1987, Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, New York City, The Best of the Rest, October 15–30, 1987, Pure Jerry: Merriweather Post Pavilion, September 1 & 2, 1989, Pure Jerry: Warner Theatre, March 18, 1978, Pure Jerry: Coliseum, Hampton, VA, November 9, 1991, Let It Rock: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. In 1994, he was inducted, posthumously, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead. Donna Jean had served as a studio vocalist prior to that and had performed with the likes of Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick, and Neil Diamond. Jazz musician Keith Godchaux's bio, concert & touring information, albums, reviews, videos, photos and more. Donna Godchaux was a member of the Grateful Dead from 1972 to 1979 and appears on many of the band's albums. From then on, I was super turned-on that such a thing existed. I don’t hear many wrong notes but he’s not exactly out there on the edge taking chances and pushing the others, as he frequently did, in his own quiet way, in his peak Grateful Dead years. Jerry Garcia is best remembered as a co-founder of influential jam band, the Grateful Dead who will forever be linked to the San Francisco rock and hippie scenes of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Prior to 1970, she had worked as a session singer in Muscle Shoals, appearing on songs by Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Keith and Donna Godchaux issued the mostly self-written Keith & Donna album in 1975 with Jerry Garcia as a member of their band. He went on to form his own group called Missing Man Formation, but sadly committed suicide on June 2, 2006 at the age of 55. As a child, Mydland learned to play the flute, accordion and piano. Honey, walk that walk. Garcia was extremely busy outside the Dead as well, recording and playing with New Riders Of The Purple Sage (with John Dawson), Old and in the Way, Legion Of Mary, as well as his own Jerry Garcia Band. Shortly before the accident, he professed to Pollock that he was "the happiest I've ever felt in my life. Biography Keith Godchaux was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in … In early 1978, rhythm guitarist Bob Weir began to perform slide guitar parts with an eye toward variegating the group's sonic palette, with Weir concluding that "desperation is the mother of invention. Push in the button let the top ten play. Songs with music by Keith Godchaux The Grateful Dead has always been a focus of synchronicity -- of magic "coincidences" happening at just the right time. Godchaux sustained massive head injuries in an auto accident while being driven home on his birthday by noted tie-dye artist Courtenay Pollock (who was hosting the Godchauxs at his home in San Geronimo, California as they worked with their new band) in July 1980. While not a founding member, nor was she with the band for too long, a female voice belting out "Dancin' in the Streets," or any Dead tune for that matter, was an oddity i…. Posted in Musician, Rock, Songwriter | Tagged: Brent Mydland, Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux, Missing Man Formation, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, The Tubes, Vince Welnick | Leave a Comment ». He was replaced by Vince Welnick who committed suicide in 2006. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. However, Godchaux's playing in the Jerry Garcia Band – which had fewer instrumentalists and hence a more "open" sound – retained more elements of his earlier work with the Grateful Dead during this period. Grateful Dead band members include Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Keith Godchaux, Donna Godchaux … It was likely the result of his addictions as well as his heavy weight sleep apnea. The album was recorded at their home in Stinson Beach, California, where they lived in the 1970s. It's me, Martin. Keith and Donna Godchaux issued the mostly self-written Keith & Donna album in 1975 with a core band including Garcia, Spooky Tooth bassist Chrissy Stewart and Wings drummer Denny Seiwell. At the time, Godchaux was largely supported by his wife and irregularly employed as a lounge pianist in Walnut Creek, California. Keyboardist Keith Godchaux joined the band with his wife, singer Donna Jean Godchaux, in late 1971 following a fortuitous encounter with Garcia at San Francisco's Keystone Club. Enter your email address to subscribe to The Music's Over. "[17] Lesh has further clarified that, to him, the band was "never quite the same" after coming back from their touring hiatus in 1975. Written-By – Donna Godchaux, Keith Godchaux: 4:04: B1: Showboat Lyrics By – Brian Godchaux Music By – Donna Godchaux, Keith Godchaux: 2:28: B2: My Love For You Written-By – Donna Godchaux, Keith Godchaux: 5:49: B3: Farewell Jack Bass – Bill Wolf Drums – Jim Brereton Lyrics By – Brian Godchaux Music By – Donna Godchaux, Keith Godchaux: 3:08: B4: Who Was John It was not like a mind-blowing far out, just a beautiful far out. Someday, Godchaux hopes to re-issue Keith & Donna, the out-of-print set of Marin Country R&B and soul that she and her late husband recorded with … The control box also enabled Godchaux to use a wah-wah pedal with the instrument. Godchaux was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Concord, California, a regional suburban center within the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the band had employed several other keyboardists (including Howard Wales, Merl Saunders and Ned Lagin) as session musicians to augment McKernan's limited instrumental contributions following the departure of Tom Constanten in January 1970, Godchaux was invited to join the group as a permanent member in September 1971. July 19, 1948 – July 23, 1980. He also played in Weir’s other side project, Bobby and the Midnites. Following the group's extended touring hiatus, he continued to use contractually-stipulated nine-foot Steinways furnished by the band's venues[6] in 1976 and early 1977 before switching exclusively to the Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano in September 1977. After playing an upright piano and increasingly sporadic Hammond organ on the fall 1971 tour, Godchaux primarily played acoustic grand piano (including nine-foot Yamaha and Steinway instruments) at concerts from 1972 to 1974. "[7] According to Garcia in a 1980 interview with Mark Rowland conducted shortly before Godchaux's death, "Keith is one of those guys who is sort of an idiot savant of the piano. Brent Mydland was the keyboardist for the Grateful Dead for an eleven year period that would see the band’s highest charting successes. Original player Ron McKernan and then Keith Godchaux died unexpectedly at young ages while playing for the band. October 21, 1952 – July 26, 1990. 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