Sure, the Grateful Dead were synonymous with psychedelics, free love, and 47-minute guitar noodles, but they were not synonymous with personal hygiene. Even so, only one guy earned the nickname “Pigpen,” and he was a walking contradiction. Pigpen McKernan just said no to acid and “Yes, please” to rotgut booze. And while the rest of the band drifted into cosmic improvisation, he stayed rooted in the blues.






