Phil Lesh, bassist and co-founder of American rock band The Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 84.
The musician's official Instagram account says he "passed away peacefully this morning" surrounded by his family. The band, which formed in California in 1965, broke up 30 years later after the death of frontman Jerry Garcia. Lesh was with them from the beginning - and also joined the other surviving band members for a reunion U.S. tour in 2003 and for a final run of shows in 2015.
Lesh's Instagram account says he has "brought great joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love". "Please respect the privacy of the Lesh family at this time," the message added.
With their distinctive blend of rock, folk and jazz, The Grateful Dead were arguably one of the most influential bands in American history and wrote the soundtrack for the counterculture generation of the 1960s.
Lesh was born in Berkeley, California, in 1940. He began playing violin, then switched to trumpet and later bass guitar when he joined The Grateful Dead in 1965. Over the next three decades, his improvisational skills complemented the tunes of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia and bandmates Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzman and Ron "Pigpen" McKiernan. He is best known for the song Unbroken Chain, dedicated to the band's relationship with its audience. Les also sang the sad Box Of Rain, which he wrote while his father was dying.
Loyal fans, known as "Deadheads", often follow the band from city to city in the US to hear them play to packed houses. The band has always made it easy for its fans to record its concerts and distribute tapes to their peers around the world. Despite its huge following, the band has only had one top 10 hit in the US - Touch of Grey in 1987. I BGNES
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