List of Grateful Dead members explained

The following is a list of all the members of the Grateful Dead. The list does not include members of the various reunion projects.

Members

Official members

Jerry Garcia

Active: 1965–1995

Instruments: Lead and Rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals

Other projects: Jerry Garcia Band, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, Legion of Mary, Reconstruction, Old & In the Way, New Riders of the Purple Sage

Bob Weir

Active: 1965–1995

Instruments: Rhythm and Lead guitar, lead and backing vocals

Other projects: RatDog, Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnites, The Other Ones, The Dead, Furthur, Dead & Company

Phil Lesh

Active: 1965–1995

Instruments: Bass guitar, backing and lead vocals

Other projects: Phil Lesh and Friends, The Other Ones, The Dead, Furthur

Bill Kreutzmann

Active: 1965–1995

Instruments: Drums, percussion

Other projects: SerialPod, Rhythm Devils, The Other Ones, The Dead, BK3, 7 Walkers, Billy & the Kids, Dead & Company

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan

Active: 1965 – June 17, 1972 (sick leave September–November 1971)

Instruments: Keyboards, harmonica, percussion, lead and backing vocals

Mickey Hart

Active: 1967–1971; 1974–1995

Instruments: Drums, percussion

Other projects: Rhythm Devils, The Other Ones, The Dead, Mickey Hart Band, Dead & Company

Tom Constanten

Active: November 23, 1968 – January 30, 1970

Instruments: Keyboards

Keith Godchaux

Active: September 1971 – February 17, 1979

Instruments: Keyboards, backing vocals

Other projects: Jerry Garcia Band, Heart of Gold Band

Donna Jean Godchaux

Active: December 31, 1971 – February 17, 1979 (maternity leave November–December 1973)

Instruments: Backing and lead vocals

Other projects: Jerry Garcia Band, Heart of Gold Band, Donna Jean Godchaux Band, Dark Star Orchestra

Brent Mydland

Active: April 22, 1979 – July 23, 1990

Instruments: Keyboards, backing and lead vocals

Other projects: Bobby and the Midnites, Go Ahead

Vince Welnick

Active: September 7, 1990 – 1995

Instruments: Keyboards, backing and lead vocals

Other projects: The Tubes, Missing Man Formation

Touring members

Ned Lagin

Active: June – October 1974

Instruments: keyboards, electronics

Other projects: Seastones

Bruce Hornsby

Active: September 1990 – March 1992

Instruments: keyboards, vocals

Other projects: Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, The Other Ones, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, The Bruce Hornsby Trio

Band lineups

Over a span of 30 years the Grateful Dead had various combinations of members, as shown in the table.^[1]

Grateful Dead lineups

Timespan	Members, instruments
June 1965 – September 1967	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocals Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums
September 1967 – November 1968	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocals Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums Mickey Hart – drums
November 1968 – January 1970	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – harmonica, percussion, keyboards, vocals Tom Constanten – keyboards Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums Mickey Hart – drums
January 1970 – February 1971	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocals Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums Mickey Hart – drums
February – October 1971	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocals Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums
October 1971 – March 1972	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – harmonica, percussion, keyboards, vocals Keith Godchaux – keyboards Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums
March – June 1972	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – harmonica, percussion, keyboards, vocals Keith Godchaux – keyboards Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals Phil Lesh – bass Bill Kreutzmann – drums
June 1972 – October 1974	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Keith Godchaux – keyboards Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals Phil Lesh – bass Bill Kreutzmann – drums Touring musician Ned Lagin – keyboards, electronics (June 1974 – October 1974)^[2] ^[3]
October 1974 – February 1979	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Keith Godchaux – keyboards Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals Phil Lesh – bass Bill Kreutzmann – drums Mickey Hart – drums Touring musician Ned Lagin – keyboards, electronics (October 1974)
April 1979 – July 1990	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Brent Mydland – keyboards, vocals Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums Mickey Hart – drums
September 1990 – August 1995	Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals Vince Welnick – keyboards, vocals Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bill Kreutzmann – drums Mickey Hart – drums Touring musician Bruce Hornsby – keyboards, vocals (September 1990 – March 1992)

Notes and References

1. Book: Scott, John W. . DeadBase XI: The Complete Guide to Grateful Dead Song Lists . Dolgushkin, Mike . Nixon, Stu. . 1999 . DeadBase . Cornish, NH . 1-877657-22-0 . 565.
2. Web site: NedBase: Annotated Nedbase 1970 - 1975 . 16 September 2014 .
3. Web site: BONUS: The Nedcast with Ned Lagin .

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