Grateful Dead co-founder Phil Lesh dies aged 84
Phil Lesh, the bassist and co-founder of the iconic US rock band The Grateful Dead, has passed away at the age of 84.
His official Instagram account announced that he “passed peacefully this morning,” surrounded by his family.
The psychedelic band, which originated in California in 1965, disbanded three decades later after the death of their frontman, Jerry Garcia.
Lesh was with the band from its inception and later reunited with the surviving members for a US tour in 2003 and a final series of concerts in 2015.
According to Lesh’s Instagram, he “brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love.” The family has requested privacy during this time.
With their unique blend of rock, folk, and jazz, The Grateful Dead are considered one of the most influential bands in American history, providing the soundtrack for the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
Lesh was born in Berkeley, California, in 1940. He started as a violin player before switching to trumpet, and later to bass guitar when he joined The Grateful Dead in 1965.
For the next three decades, his improvisational skills complemented the melodies of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia and bandmates Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzman, and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan.
He was best known for the song Unbroken Chain, about the band’s connection with its audience.
Lesh also sang the wistful Box Of Rain, which he wrote while his father was dying.
Loyal fans, known as “Deadheads”, would often follow the band from city to city across the US to hear them play at packed-out concerts.
The band always made it easy for its fans to record its concerts and distribute tapes to their peers around the world.
Despite their massive following, they notched up only one top-10 hit in the US with Touch of Grey in 1987.
Although the cause of Lesh’s death is unknown, he had a series of health issues over the years.
In 2015, he announced he was being treated for bladder cancer in the US. Nine years before that he had surgery for prostate cancer and made a full recovery.
He also underwent a liver transplant in 1998, becoming a passionate advocate of organ donations.
Lesh is survived by his wife, Jill, and their two sons.
