SAN RAFAEL (CelebrityAccess) — Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the iconic jam band The Grateful Dead, passed away on Friday at age 84.
His passing was shared on his official social media, noting he “passed peacefully,” though no cause of death was disclosed.
Born in California, Lesh attended the University of California, Berkeley, and volunteered as a recording engineer at KPFA in the early 1960s, where he met future Grateful Dead bandmates Tom Constanten and Jerry Garcia.
After leaving school and briefly working as a postal clerk, Lesh was persuaded to learn bass guitar to join Garcia’s band, then called The Warlocks. Lesh quickly mastered the instrument, developing an innovative style that blended rhythm and improvisation, setting him apart from many of the other bassists of the era.
In addition to his work on the bass, Lesh provided vocal harmonies on Dead songs like “U.S. Blues,” “Brown Eyed Women,” and “Ramble On Rose.” He also co-wrote songs, including “Box of Rain,” “Truckin’,” and “Unbroken Chain.”
Following Garcia’s death in 1995, Lesh played with successor bands, including The Other Ones and Further, which he co-founded with Bob Weir. He later joined Dead & Company, which featured John Mayer on lead vocals, and toured until 2023.
Lesh was also known for residencies at venues like the Capitol Theatre and his own club, Terrapin Crossroads, where he performed with various lineups of Phil Lesh and Friends.
He underwent surgery for bladder cancer in 2015 and back surgery in 2019, recovering fully from both.
Lesh was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, along with the other members of The Grateful Dead.
