Bassist Phil Lesh, one of the founders of the American psychedelic rock group Grateful Dead, died on Friday at the age of 84, according to a press release posted on his Instagram account.
The musician “died peacefully,” “surrounded by his family and his love,” the statement said. The Grateful Dead were one of the main countercultural groups born in the 1960s.
Born in San Francisco, the group formed by Jerry García, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron McKernan and Phil Lesh offers a subtle combination of rock, bluegrass and folk music. More than his successes, it is above all his concerts, always original, that will consolidate his reputation.
Very notable return
Throughout the United States, the group’s tours are followed by a veritable caravan of fans, better known as “Deadheads”, who do not hesitate to travel thousands of kilometers so as not to miss any of their performances. Grateful Dead becomes the first Western rock band to perform at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids.
At the end of the 1970s, unlike many Californian groups thrown into oblivion by the death of the hippie movement, the Grateful Dead continued on their way. In 1987, the group made a very notable return to the top of the charts with touch of gray. A success like never before experienced in training.
Phil Lesh, born in 1940 in California, distinguished himself within the group for his bass solos, bringing to the fore an instrument often relegated to an accompaniment function. He was being treated for cancerous tumors in 2015, after his last farewell tour. Jerry García, another co-founder of the group, died in 1995.
Source: BFM TV