“Top” Ten Music Losses of 2024: Phil Lesh (#9)

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Along with the others from the world of entertainment, politics, and public life who passed away in 2024, I’m doing my annual look at the music obituaries from last year that I found to be the most disheartening. While I’m not a huge fan of this man’s band, the contributions to the world of music that they made are undeniable. Plus, who doesn’t like the song I’m linking at the end? #9: Phil Lesh Yeah, when your band shows up in another song (“Out on the road today I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” — “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley), your band is something. And the Grateful Dead really were something. Personally, I’m not into the “jam band” thing, but that was their niche, and their fans ate it up. I’ll also give the Dead credit for one major thing: they NEVER did the same concert twice. I’ve seen bands more than once where the jokes and even the movements were orchestrated. Not the Grateful Dead. There was a joke about an 84-CD live set coming out soon, “as soon as they can decide which song it’ll be.” Yes, they played long, extended versions of their tunes…and that’s why, despite their relatively poor “commercial” success (they had a whopping ONE top 40 hit, “Touch of Grey”), they were the #1 touring band every single year for a good 20 years. That’s a loyal fan base. Phil Lesh was the bassist and one of the songwriters in the band. He started in the band not playing bass; however, he said, that lack of knowledge of the “rules” of playing bass made him one of the most innovative bassists in rock and roll. (You’ll hear that lovely bass run of his in the song below.) Additionally, he helped write that classic tune. Lesh, late in life, overcame a couple of bouts of cancer and a back injury. He passed from natural causes in October, shortly after it was announced that the Grateful Dead would be receiving the Kennedy Center Honors for 2024. Phil Lesh Born Philip Chapman Lesh, March 15, 1940, Berkeley, California Died October 25, 2024 (natural causes) (age 84) HALL OF FAME: Rock and Roll (with the Grateful Dead) Here’s their classic “Truckin’”: