Vince died Friday, June 2nd. He played keyboards with the Grateful Dead from September 1990 - August 1995. Though he received a lot of criticism during his tenure, Vince was a loving, happy guy who played his heart out with the band. Grateful Web sends our thoughts to his family and friends. Thanks for your loving nature, Vince. We'll miss you...
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"No fear, no hate, could be greater then the size of;
The love that I am seeing deep in the eyes of;
All of my friends, True Blue"
Vince Welnick "Missing Man Formation"
This song by Vince Welnick was a key inspiration for Quixote's True Blue and the guiding spirit of each of the places that we created successively. Vince Welnick, the last keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, passed away today, June 2nd. This bright and charming keyboardist eagerly took the place of Brent Mydland in the Grateful Dead hotseat creating some very memorable moments in the golden days of the Grateful Dead. He led me to a greater understanding of Jerry Garcia when he said that "he could be ornery at times, but I have never met a kinder gentler man in my life. When I first saw Jerry Garcia I believed in Santa Claus. Everybody is asking the big question and love is the answer. And I'll always believe in Santa Claus." Shortly after Jerry Garcia died, Vince Welnick, created a band called Missing Man Formation which was probably the strongest post-Dead band that I ever saw. In fact when I first saw this band in 1996 and they did the long forgotten song, Saint Stephen,I thought I was going to explode. Yes, spontaneously combustion was on my mind and I was giddy like a child. Vince also played at my wedding August 9th at Red Rocks with Gregg's Eggs. He was all about love and his presence on that day made it all the more special. His heart was full of compassion in a seemingly heartless world. He left his mark on my family and will always be considered a member of it. In short, he will be missed as a friend and a brother.
February 21st, 1951 - June 2nd 2006
Stay True Blue,
