Grateful Dead Bassist Phil Lesh Has Died At 84

Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the iconic rock band Grateful Dead, has passed away at the age of 84, Dan Heching reported for CNN.

A native of Berkeley, California, Lesh co-founded the Grateful Dead in 1965 in Palo Alto with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and Bill Kreutzmann. I Photo: Grateful Dead Facebook

The news was shared on Lesh’s verified Instagram account on Friday, which said he died “peacefully” that 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,” read the announcement. “We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time,” Jason Morris also reported for CNN.

No cause of death was immediately available, but the Associated Press (AP) noted that Lesh had previously battled prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and had undergone a liver transplant in 1998 due to a hepatitis C infection and years of heavy drinking.

A native of Berkeley, California, Lesh co-founded the Grateful Dead in 1965 in Palo Alto with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and Bill Kreutzmann.

Although trained on violin and trumpet, Lesh earned second chair in California’s Oakland Symphony Orchestra while still a teenager.

In 1965, while driving a mail truck and working as a sound engineer for a small radio station, Lesh was asked by Garcia to play bass for a fledgling rock band, then known as The Warlocks.