Bassist Phil Lesh, one of the founders of the American psychedelic rock group Grateful Dead, died Friday at the age of 84, according to a press release published on his Instagram account.
The musician “passed away peacefully”, “surrounded by his family and love”, notes the press release.
The Grateful Dead were one of the leading counterculture groups born in the 1960s.
Born in San Francisco, the group formed by Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron McKernan and Phil Lesh offers a subtle combination of rock, bluegrass and folk music. More than his hits, it is above all his concerts, always original, which will establish his reputation.
Throughout the United States, the group’s tours are followed by a veritable caravan of admirers, 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, Grateful Dead continued on its path. In 1987, the group made a very notable return to the top of the charts with “Touch of Grey”. A success like the training had never experienced before.
Phil Lesh, born in 1940 in California, distinguished himself within the group with his bass solos, bringing to the forefront the instrument often relegated to an accompaniment role.
He was being treated for cancerous tumors in 2015, after their last farewell tour.
Jerry Garcia, another co-founder of the group, died in 1995.
