Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh dies at 84 – NBC New York

Phil Lesh, founder and bassist of the Grateful Dead, died Friday morning at the age of 84, according to reports post on his official Instagram account.

The cause of his death was not immediately clear.

Lesh, along with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron McKernan and Bill Kreutzmann, formed the Grateful Dead in Palo Alto in 1965, and the band had a devoted following known as the “Deadheads”.

According to the New York Times, in addition to playing bass, Lesh also sang high harmonies for the band and occasionally served as lead vocalist. He also co-wrote some of the band’s most famous songs, including “St. Stephen,” “Dark Star,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Truckin'” and “Box of Rain,” reports the Los Angeles Times.

An Instagram post on Friday morning read: “Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of The Grateful Dead, passed away peacefully this morning. He was surrounded by family and full of love. Phil brought immense joy to those around him and left behind a legacy of music and love. We ask that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.”

It was unclear who wrote the post.

Philip Chapman Lesh was born on March 15, 1940 in Berkeley, California.