Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, producer Peter Shapiro, who worked with him, confirmed to CBS News. Lesh was 84 years old.
A post on his Instagram account said Lesh “passed away peacefully this morning.”
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“He was surrounded by his family and filled with love. Phil brought tremendous joy to everyone around him and left behind a legacy of music and love. We ask that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.”
Who were the original Grateful Dead members?
The Grateful Dead, one of America’s longest-running music groups, formed as a five-piece in California in 1965, according to their official website. Jerry Garcia, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh comprised the original band members. They signed with Warner Bros. in late 1966 and released their self-titled debut later that spring.
The band continued touring for the next five years. This era has been said to be the band’s most creatively prolific. Some members left, some died, and some were added, but the original magic of Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia remained intact through the most turbulent years. Garcia died in 1995.
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The Grateful Dead toured extensively and were known for their live shows and improvisation skills, gaining them legions of fans around the world. In 2007, the band received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy.
The band has recorded: Top 40 albums most on the charts It entered the Billboard 200 in 2024. The band broke up in 1995 after the death of singer Jerry Garcia, but the popularity of the archival album propelled the music into the top 40. Of the band’s 59 entries in the top 40, 41 have come since. 2012.
What did Phil Lesh do after The Grateful Dead broke up?
After a few years with the Dead, Lesh started a rock/jazz band called Phil and Friends and toured extensively with the band until August 2024, according to their Facebook page.
Lesh, who grew up in the eastern suburbs of San Francisco, initially began his musical studies on classical violin before switching to track, according to The Grateful Dead’s website. He has been married to his wife, Jill, for over 20 years and has two sons.
