Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh Dead at 84
The bassist’s death leaves just two founding members of the legendary jam band alive.
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images
Phil Lesh, original bassist for the Grateful Dead, “passed peacefully” at age 84 Friday morning, according to an official statement. “He was surrounded by his family and full of love,” the message reads. “Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love.” Along with lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, keyboard player Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (who died in 1973) and drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Lesh co-founded the band in 1965 and remained part of the group until Garcia’s death in 1995. After that, he broke off into a series of side groups (most notably Phil Lesh and Friends) before joining the “Core Four” remaining members, which at that point included second percussionist Mickey Hart, for a series of reunion shows for the 50th anniversary “Fare Thee Well” tour in 2015. In addition to his lifelong dedication to music, Lesh was a vocal advocate for organ donation after undergoing a successful liver transplant in 1998, urging fans at every subsequent concert to become organ donors.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.