Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead whose intricate bass playing was pivotal to the band's distinctive sound, passed away on Friday at the age of 84, as announced on his Instagram account. Tributes from the music community flooded in, and the Empire State Building in New York paid homage by lighting up in tie-dye colors, a nod to the psychedelic band famous for its extended improvisations during live performances. These shows attracted devoted fans known as "Dead Heads," who followed the band from concert to concert.

The Instagram post confirmed that Lesh died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Rolling Stone magazine placed Lesh at number 11 on its list of the greatest bass players of all time, though he was also known for his lead and backing vocals. Many fans viewed him as equally influential as the band's frontman, Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995.

"His concept of 'playing bass and lead simultaneously,' with his notes weaving in and out of the melody, became as iconic to the Dead's sound as Garcia's guitar," Rolling Stone noted. Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist of Phish, expressed on Instagram, "Phil was more than a revolutionary, groundbreaking bass player—he reshaped how I perceived music as a teenager."

Formed in California in 1965, the Grateful Dead gained prominence in San Francisco during 1967. Their music, a blend of rock, folk, country, and jazz, continued to resonate long after their heyday. Following Garcia's death, other long-time members like Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart formed various line-ups under the name Dead & Company, while Lesh chose to establish Phil Lesh and Friends, which performed until 2023.

Born on March 15, 1940, in Berkeley, California, Philip Chapman Lesh initially played classical violin before transitioning to big-band trumpet in the "cool jazz" style. He later studied with avant-garde Italian composer Luciano Berio. In 1965, his friend Garcia informed him that he was the new bass player for the Warlocks, a band that would evolve into the Grateful Dead. Lesh's response was simply, "Why not?"

Lesh leaves behind his wife, Jill Lesh, and their two sons, Grahame and Brian.

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