Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh has died at age 84.
Sentencing for teen who stabbed 3 people outside Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant pushed back for CTE testing
FILE - The Grateful Dead, from left, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart perform during a reunion concert in East Troy, Wis. on Aug. 3, 2002. Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Although he kept a relatively low public profile, rarely granting interviews or speaking to the audience, fans and fellow band members recognized Lesh as a critical member of the Grateful Dead whose thundering lines on the six-string electric bass provided a brilliant counterpoint to lead guitarist Jerry Garcia's soaring solos and anchored the band's famous marathon jams.
Lesh began his long musical odyssey as a classically trained violinist, starting with lessons in third grade. He took up the trumpet at 14, eventually earning the second chair in California’s Oakland Symphony Orchestra while still in his teens. Lesh and Garcia would frequently exchange leads, often spontaneously, while the band as a whole would frequently break into long experimental, jazz-influenced jams during concerts. The result was that even well-known Grateful Dead songs like “Truckin’” or “Sugar Magnolia” rarely sounded the same two performances in a row, something that would inspire loyal fans to attend show after show.
Musical influences he often cited were not rock musicians but composers like Bach and Edgard Varese, as well as jazz greats like John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead Co-Founder and Bassist, Dead at 84The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh, who helped co-found the legendary band and served as their bassist, has died at the age of 84.
Read more »
Phil Lesh, founding member of Grateful Dead and influential bassist, dies at 84Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh has died at age 84.
Read more »
Phil Lesh, bassist for Grateful Dead, dies at 84Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh propelled many of the band's wilder explorations while taking a rare vocal turn on fan favorite 'Box of Rain.'
Read more »
The Grateful Dead named MusiCares’ 2025 Persons of the YearMusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, will honor the Grateful Dead as its 2025 Persons of the Year.
Read more »
The Grateful Dead named MusiCares’ 2025 Persons of the YearMusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, will honor the Grateful Dead as its 2025 Persons of the Year.
Read more »
Joe Russo leads his incredible Grateful Dead tribute band back to Bay AreaHere’s how to get concert tickets for Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at the Fox Theater in Oakland.
Read more »