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: September 29, 1967 – February 18, 1971; October 20, 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. + Grateful Dead lineups Timespan Members, instruments June 1965 – September 1967Jerry 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 1968Jerry 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 1970Jerry 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 1971Jerry 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 1971Jerry 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 1972Jerry 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 1972Jerry 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 1974Jerry 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) October 1974 – February 1979Jerry 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 1990Jerry 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 1995Jerry 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)
Timeline
References