Phil Lesh, bassist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, died at the age of 34 on the morning of Friday, October 25, 2024. Lesh was part of the legendary rock band for three decades until they disbanded in 1995, although he continued to collaborate with former Grateful Dead members to pay tribute to their music. The cause of death is unknown.
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The announcement was posted on Phil Lesh's Instagram account. "Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of The Grateful Dead, passed peacefully this morning. He was surrounded by his family and full of love," reads the statement. "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."
Remembering Phil Lesh
Born in California in 1940, he showed musical talents by getting the first trumpet chair at the College of San Mateo. He showed interest in jazz, and classical music, and even wrote music arrangements for big bands. He met fellow Grateful Dead keyboardist, Tom Constanten, at the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he met Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist and vocalist for the Grateful Dead, while working at KPFA as a recording engineer.
Garcia would later convince Lesh to play bass guitar in Garcia's band called The Warlocks in 1965. Lesh had no idea of how to play bass guitar at the time, which in hindsight influenced the Grateful Dead's sound. He provided a melodic style of playing the bass guitar that would become a signature of his. The Warlocks would eventually become the Grateful Dead after discovering another band with a single credited as Warlocks.
The Grateful Dead became extremely successful and released 13 studio albums and toured for three decades. Lesh and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. One year later, they would disband following Jerry Garcia's death in a rehabilitation clinic.
Phil Lesh would later form bands such as Phi Lesh and Friends and Furthur where he collaborated with former Grateful Dead members, paying tribute to the band's repertoire. In his later years, Lesh would undergo bladder cancer surgery and back surgery. However, he continued to perform up to 2024, months before his death.
