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Groundbreaking musician Phil Lesh died Friday, Oct. 25. He was 84.
His death was announced on his Instagram account.
Lesh was born in Berkeley and grew up in the Bay Area. He resided in Marin at the time of his death.
In the early ’60s, Lesh crossed paths with future Grateful Dead bandmates Jerry Garcia and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan at parties in Palo Alto, according to PaloAltoHistory.org. Lesh and Garcia also frequented Kepler’s Books around that time.
As the band’s founding bassist, he helped define their sound, shifting the bass from the rhythm section to a more prominent role.
In addition to his influence in shaping the group’s distinctive sound, it was at Lesh’s Palo Alto home in November 1965 that the band settled on their name, changing it from The Warlocks to the now-world-famous moniker Grateful Dead.
Lesh was one of the Grateful Dead’s most longtime members, and along with guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir, helped keep the band’s music going strong into the 21st century. Most recently, he toured with Phil Lesh & Friends, with the lineup sometimes also including his son, Grahame Lesh. He performed at The Warfield in May, according to SFGate.
The post on Lesh’s Instagram said that he “passed peacefully this morning. 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.”
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