Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead’s co-founding member and bassist, has died at the age of 84.
According to a statement posted to social media, Lesh “passed peacefully” on Friday, October 25th. “He was surrounded by his family and full of love. Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time,” the statement read. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born on March 15th, 1940, Lesh began his musical life as a young violinist before quickly transitioning to become a trumpet player while enrolled in high school. Taking an interest in avant-garde classical music and free jazz, Lesh would go on to become the first trumpet chair at the University of California, Berkeley, where he would also write charts for the college’s big band. Though he wouldn’t finish his degree at the university, it was during this time that he met Tom Constanten, future Grateful Dead keyboardist.
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Once he had dropped out of school, Lesh continued his musical education by studying under Luciano Berio alongside the likes of Steve Reich. After spending time as a recording engineer at KPFA, Lesh met Jerry Garcia. Though Garcia came from a more bluegrass background, the two took a liking to each other, with Lesh eventually becoming the bassist for Garcia’s band at the time, The Warlocks.
Soon after, The Warlocks morphed into the Grateful Dead. The band — rounded out by Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Ron McKeman — became a staple of the psychedelic and counterculture scene thanks to their jammy, oftentimes experimental live show. By their official disbandment in 1995, their lengthy catalog of live recordings and studio efforts cemented them as one of the most foundational jam bands of all time.
Lesh served as the bassist for the Grateful Dead from the act’s founding to their disbandment. Having not played the bass prior to linking up with Garcia, Lesh learned as he went, resulting in a playstyle not tethered by traditional techniques and practices. He became known for his adventurous, often highly melodic bass lines, which would often differ each time he played a song.
After the Grateful Dead, Lesh continued to play with offshoots The Other Ones and The Dead. He also led a band of his own, Phil Lesh and Friends. Throughout the following decades, he would periodically link up with previous Grateful Dead bandmates for different tours. When he wasn’t on the road, Lesh performed as the house band at Terrapin Crossroads, a venue he founded in San Rafael, California.
Lesh battled several types of cancer throughout his life, including a bout with prostate cancer in 2006 and bladder cancer in 2015. Though recovering from both instances, he underwent additional surgery for the latter in 2019.
Earlier this week, MusiCares named the Grateful Dead its 2025 Persons of the Year. The other surviving Grateful Dead members — Kreutzmann, Weir, and Mickey Hart — are set to be honored at the organization’s benefit event during Grammy Week. The Grateful Dead are also set to be recognized as part of the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors.
Lesh ranked as the 81st best player on Consequence’s list of the 100 greatest bassists of all time.
