#pigpen

My fixation on Shinichiro is so bad 💀

Bill “The Drummer” Kreutzmann Turns 80

The last of the Grateful Dead’s original members, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, turns 80 today.

Born May 7, 1946, Kreutzmann hits the milestone as the last survivor of the Grateful co-founders. Former Dead men Mickey Hart, Tom Constanten and Bruce Hornsby also live on, but Kreutzmann is the only person on Earth to have been at every Grateful Dead concert, having outlived fellow originals Pigpen, who died in 1973, Jerry Garcia (1995), Phil Lesh (2024) and Bob Weir (2026).

Kreutzmann’s been at a number of Dead-spinoff shows as well, as a member of the Other Ones, the Dead, Rhythm Devils and Dead & Company and his own solo bands like BK3, 7 Walkers and Billy & the Kids.

No matter the group, Keutzmann was the man to give it swagger and swing. And as he seems to be happily retired in Hawaii these days, birthday No. 80 is almost certain to be filled with sun, sand, certain medicinal plants and drums.

They didn’t call him “Bill the Drummer” for nothing.