Grateful Dead Co-Founding Bassist Phil Lesh Dies

Founding Grateful Lifeless bassist Phil Lesh has died at age 84. No reason behind dying was instantly given, although Lesh had revealed a bout with bladder most cancers in 2015. He additionally had a liver transplant following a persistent hepatitis C an infection in 1998.

“He was surrounded by his household and full of affection,” in line with an official assertion. “Phil introduced immense pleasure to everybody round him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you simply respect the Lesh household’s privateness right now.”

A classically educated trumpeter, Lesh switched to bass on the late Jerry Garcia’s request after becoming a member of a fledgling Bay Space band referred to as the Warlocks. He’d met Garcia in passing a few occasions, they usually hit it off. The Warlocks have been quickly rechristened because the Grateful Lifeless, then took over as the home band throughout Ken Kesey’s legendary Acid Exams.

READ MORE: Prime 10 Grateful Lifeless Reveals

In a cool happenstance, Lesh’s self-taught type – and a ardour for jazz – created a sequence of latest musical vistas for the group. “What you are able to do is put together your self to be open – open for the pipeline to open and the magic to circulation down via us,” Lesh later enthused. “It means leaving your self behind. It is not a query of, ‘Oh God, do not let me f— up,’ or something like that. It is a query of, ‘Right here I’m. Work me, Lord.'”

Quickly, Lesh was co-writing a few of their best-known songs, together with “Truckin,'” “St. Stephen” and “Field of Rain.” He additionally initially offered tenor backing vocals, as heard on their turn-of-the-’70s classics Workingman’s Lifeless and American Magnificence. In later years, Lesh’s voice darkened into a pleasing baritone.

He by no means bored with their wildly creative musical journeys. “By way of the Grateful Lifeless,” Lesh instructed Forbes, “the medium is the message within the sense that whenever you see us up there taking part in music, collaborating and making music collectively, making music that is by no means been made earlier than, there’s at all times some new ingredient in it.”

The Grateful Lifeless toured and recorded from 1965 till Garcia’s sudden dying in 1995, a loss that deeply impacted Lesh. “Jerry was the hub,” he instructed Rolling Stone. “We have been the spokes – and the music was the tread on the wheel.”

Take heed to the Grateful Lifeless’s ‘Field of Rain’

Phil Lesh Remained Lively After the Grateful Lifeless

By that time, nonetheless, Lesh admitted that among the magic had begun to fade. “It was wildly profitable for me till we took the break from touring [in the mid-’70s],” he mentioned in 2016. “Once we got here again, it was by no means fairly the identical. Though it was nice and we performed improbable music, one thing was lacking. … It might come again at times, on some superior night, some significantly nice efficiency. However that was much more irritating, as a result of it might disappear once more for X variety of exhibits – simply disappear.”

Lesh introduced the identical honesty and mind to the one memoir from a band member to this point, 2005’s Looking for the Sound: My Life With the Grateful Lifeless. He and his spouse Jill opened a restaurant and dwell music venue referred to as Terrapin Crossroads in 2012 in San Rafael. Lesh additionally continued to carry out lengthy after his time with the Grateful Lifeless was over.

The Berkeley native fronted Phil Lesh and Buddies, appeared in Additional and the Different Ones with former bandmates, and continued to play along with his household band into 2024. Lesh took half within the 2015’s Fare Thee Nicely exhibits in Chicago to have a good time the Lifeless’s fiftieth anniversary, showing with Trey Anastasio of Phish. He would additionally often sit in with the home band at Terrapin Crossroads, which featured his sons.

“I must say that music and performing are as important as foods and drinks to me, however much more in order I grow old,” he instructed Mercury Information earlier this 12 months. “Whereas it may possibly typically be extra of a problem bodily than it was after I was a younger whippersnapper, I’ve discovered that age brings knowledge, and with that comes musical expertise and information that I did not have after I was youthful.”

He issued The Unusual Stay with the Different Ones and Love Will See You By with Phil Lesh and Buddies within the ’90s. The next decade noticed the discharge of There and Again Once more and Dwell on the Warfield, each from Phil Lesh and Buddies.

Sadly, the Grateful Lifeless had simply been named 2025 MusiCares Individuals of the 12 months earlier this week. Lesh was to be celebrated with fellow surviving unique members Mickey Hart, Invoice Kreutzmann and Bob Weir on the group’s profit gala throughout Grammy Week. The band’s founding lineup additionally included the late Ron “Pigpen” McKernan.