Grateful Dead Co-Founding Bassist Phil Lesh Has Died

Founding Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh has died. He was 84.

No cause of death was immediately given. “He was surrounded by his family and full of love,” according to an official statement. “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.”

The Grateful Dead were named 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year earlier this week. Lesh and fellow surviving original members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bobby Weir were set to be honored at the organization’s benefit gala during Grammy Week.

A classically trained trumpeter, Lesh switched to bass as a member of the Grateful Dead, whose original lineup was rounded out by the late Jerry Garcia and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. Lesh met Garcia, who was then an up-and-coming bluegrass banjoist, while volunteering as a recording engineer for the Berkeley, California, public radio station KPFA.

The Grateful Dead toured and recorded from 1965 until Garcia’s death in 1995, but Lesh continued to perform long after his time with the band was over. The Berkeley native fronted Phil Lesh and Friends, performed in Further and the Other Ones with former bandmates, and continued to appear with his family band into 2024.

“I would have to say that music and performing are as essential as food and drink to me, but even more so as I get older,” he told Mercury News earlier this year. “While it can sometimes be more of a challenge physically than it was when I was a young whippersnapper, I’ve found that age brings wisdom, and with that comes musical experience and knowledge that I didn’t have when I was younger.”

Lesh missed an August headlining set at Sunday Daydream Vol. 4 in San Rafael, California, after testing positive for COVID.

This is a developing story and will be updated.