Phil Lesh was a founding member of the Grateful Dead and remained the band’s bassist for its entire 30-year career.
- Died: October 25, 2024 (Who else died on October 25?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 84.
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Phil Lesh’s legacy
Lesh’s journey toward one of the most legendary rock bands of all time began in his childhood. A classically trained musician, his first instrument was violin; he later switched to trumpet, playing in his high school band. He developed a taste for free jazz, which he would later blend with his bandmates’ love for folk and bluegrass to create the unmistakable sound of the original jam band, the Grateful Dead.
Lesh met Jerry Garcia in the early ‘60s, and by 1964, he was playing bass in Garcia’s band, the Warlocks. When he joined the band, he hadn’t played bass before. Drawing on his existing musical experience, he learned as he went along, leaning on his classical training to develop a sound that he said drew on such influences as Johann Sebastian Bach and Jack Bruce of Cream.
The Warlocks evolved into the Grateful Dead, and they quickly became beloved. Known for their constant touring and their ever-changing, long-running performances of their songs, the Grateful Dead grew to become one of the most important and influential bands of their time. Lesh’s jazz and classical background shaped their tendency toward improvisation. He did more than play the bass, though; he also sang high harmonies and, in a few cases, took lead vocals. His voice was front and center on such songs as “Box of Rain,” “Unbroken Chain,” and “Childhood’s End.” Lesh also wrote and co-wrote music for the Grateful Dead, including “Box of Rain” – a tribute to his late father – and “Truckin’.”
When the Grateful Dead disbanded upon Garcia’s 1995 death, Lesh wasn’t yet done with music. He carried on with several of his bandmates in the offshoots The Other Ones and The Dead. He also formed Phil Lesh and Friends, playing with a frequently changing roster of musicians that included members of Phish, the Black Crowes, and the Allman Brothers Band.
In 1998, Lesh’s chronic hepatitis C necessitated a liver transplant. After the successful surgery, he became a prominent spokesman for organ donation, encouraging others to pledge to donate their organs. The topic was often a part of his concert banter as he advocated for organ donation to his audiences. Lesh also underwent surgery for prostate cancer and bladder cancer.
Lesh was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his bandmates. He was named among the top bass players in rock music by Rolling Stone in 2020, ranked 11th.
Lesh on his liver transplant
“There’s part of somebody else in me, and I’m the host for this personality that’s part of somebody else’s spirit. It’s very subtle, intangible, but there’s something that’s different. ‘Symbiosis’ is the term, where two distinct organisms work together to survive.” —from a 2001 interview for Relix
Tributes to Phil Lesh
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
