Phil Lesh, Greateful Dead bassist, dies at 84

Phil Lesh, bassist and founding personnel of The Grateful Dead, died Friday, a shaper who worked pinch him confirmed to CBS News. He was 84 years old. 

A station on his Instagram account said Lesh "passed peacefully this morning."

Phil Lesh performs during nan Great South Bay Music Festival connected July 22, 2023 successful Patchogue, New York. / Getty Images

"He was surrounded by his family and afloat of love. Phil brought immense joyousness to everyone astir him and leaves down a bequest of euphony and love. We petition that you respect nan Lesh family's privateness astatine this time," the station said. 

One of America's astir enduring philharmonic groups, The Grateful Dead was formed arsenic a quintet successful California successful 1965, according to their official website. Jerry Garcia, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Bob Weir Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh made up nan original set members. The set signed to Warner Brothers successful precocious 1966, releasing their self-titled debut later that spring.

The set went connected to circuit for nan adjacent half-decade — an era, nan set said was their astir creatively fertile. Somea members left, immoderate died, and others were added, but nan original magic of Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia stayed intact done immoderate of their astir tumultuous years. Garcia died successful 1995.

The Grateful Dead: (l-r) Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Brent Mydland execute connected April 5, 1980 -- Getty Images

The Grateful Dead toured extensively garnering legions of fans astir nan world for their expertise to play euphony and "jam." 

In 2007, nan set received nan Lifetime Achievement grant from nan Recording Academy. 

The set collapsed nan grounds for the astir Top 40 albums to chart on nan Billboard 200 successful 2024. Even though nan set disbanded successful 1995 pursuing nan decease of vocalist Jerry Garcia, its archival albums' fame pushed nan euphony into nan Top 40. Forty-one of nan band's 59 entries successful nan Top 40 person happened since 2012.

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