Phil Lesh, the Grateful Dead co-founder and bassist, has died on Friday at the age of 84.
“He was surrounded by his family and full of love,” an official statement written on Facebook said. “Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh familys privacy at this time.”
No cause of death has been revealed yet.
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Lesh formed the rock band in California in 1965 and played with the group for 30 years, until their disbandment in 1995.
Fans across social media have reacted to the sad news of his death, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their condolences.
“Crushed by the news that Phil Lesh has passed. One of the all-time greatest bass players and just a true original in every possible way. Smuggled so much weirdness and originality into the heart of American culture. But his tone is immortal. Nothing hits like a Phil bomb. RIP,” a user sighed.
“RIP Phil Lesh. Truly heartbreaking. Weve loved this band and man for most of our lives,” another added. “His pioneering spirit and deep, soulful playing shaped the Deads iconic sound and influenced generations. His legacy of creativity, community, and endless jams will live on,” a listener penned.
A fan interjected with their own words, writing: “RIP Phil Lesh. I’ve been a Deadhead my whole adult life. I don’t have the words right now to explain how much the music and community that this man helped create has meant to me, but I surely am grateful for it. Ride on Phil. If you see a Deadhead this weekend, give them a hug.”
Lesh was also a classically trained trumpeter who worked with composers Luciano Berio and Steve Reich. He was later asked to play bass at a 1965 show in a Menlo Park, California, with Jerry Garcia’s group, the Warlocks.
Garcia, who died in 1995, was another co-founder of the Grateful Dead and was the band’s lead singer and guitarist.
Lesh and Garcia were credited for the putting together the Deads early albums and co-wrote projects such as St. Stephen, The Eleven and Dark Star.
He later formed a side project called Phil Lesh and Friends, which paid tribute to the Grateful Dead’s music. Lesh left his mark on all 13 of the Deads studio albums released between 1967 and 1990.
I want to bring musicians who maybe have not had a lot of contact with the Grateful Dead into a band setting and work with them and engage them. Its not necessarily to teach, but to pull out of them that way of looking at music. So that they can then play this music not the same way but with the same spirit, with the same perspective and goals that we did,” he once told the New Yorker.
He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Lesh is survived by his wife Jill and kids, Grahame and Brian.
