Lauren A. LittleNovember 21, 2005Phil Lesh in the course of the Phil Lesh and Buddies live performance Monday on the Studying Eagle Theatre.
Medianews Group/studying Eagle By way of Getty Photos | Medianews Group | Getty Photos
Grateful Lifeless founding member and bassist Phil Lesh died Friday morning, in response to a publish on his official Instagram account.
The California native and rock legend was 84.
Lesh “handed peacefully” whereas surrounded by household, in response to the publish to his Instagram.
“Phil introduced immense pleasure to everybody round him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love,” the publish learn. “We request that you simply respect the Lesh household’s privateness right now.”
Lesh was raised in a suburb of San Francisco, the place he began his music journey by studying to play the classical violin. He traded the violin for the trumpet and composed music impressed by German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.
In 1965, his buddy, Jerry Garcia, recruited him as a bassist for The Warlocks. Shortly afterward, the band renamed itself the Grateful Lifeless, with Lesh on bass and Garcia on guitar.
The Lifeless fused rock, jazz and people, occurring to develop into some of the influential bands in American historical past.
Recognized for being a virtuosic bassist, Lesh is credited with redefining the sound of the bass and closely influencing the Grateful Lifeless’s sound.
He was widely known by different artists as a defining rock bass participant. “Lesh is likely one of the most expert bassists you may ever hear in subtlety and invention,” Bob Dylan wrote concerning the Grateful Lifeless bassist in his 2022 e-book, “The Philosophy of Fashionable Tune.”
The band dissolved after 30 years, with Lesh presiding over a brand new jazz band known as Phil and Buddies, usually enjoying exhibits within the Bay Space within the years earlier than his loss of life.
Lesh leaves behind his spouse, Jill, and their two sons, Grahame and Brian.
