Warren Haynes and Phish‘s Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon are among the artists who’ve taken to social media to pay tribute to Grateful Dead bassist and co-founder Phil Lesh, who passed away Friday at the age of 84.
Haynes, who performed with the offshoot band The Dead in 2004 and 2009, and with Phil Lesh and Friends, wrote a lengthy tribute, sharing what he learned playing with Lesh over the years. He wrote that Lesh’s death was “a huge loss to the music world and to our beloved musical community,” noting, “There’s a whole type of music fan and a whole type of musician that exists due to something that Phil helped create.”
Anastasio wrote that Lesh “was more than a revolutionary, groundbreaking bass player,” adding, “He transformed how I thought about music as a teenager.” He shared that when he got to play with Phil he learned “that beyond being an astounding musician, he was a truly kind and wonderful man.”
Phish’s bass player Mike Gordon wrote that Lesh had a “profound influence on all of us,” adding, “The Grateful Dead were uniquely moving, and I always felt Phil’s contribution was at the pinnacle of that magic.”
According to Setlist.fm, Phish also paid tribute to Lesh on stage, opening their show Friday in Albany, New York, with Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain,” a song Lesh co-wrote and sings on.
Other artists who paid tribute to Lesh include John Mayer, who plays with Dead & Company, Sammy Hagar, Allman Brothers Band, The Beach Boys’ Al Jardine, Chuck D and others.
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