Phil Lesh, bassist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, dies at 84

Phil Lesh, bassist and co-founder of the American rock band Grateful Dead, died Friday at age 84.

The musician's official Instagram account announced that Lesh passed away "peacefully and surrounded by his family."

Grateful Dead was a psychedelic rock band formed in California in 1965. The group broke up 30 years later after the death of their leader Jerry Garcia.

Lesh was with the Grateful Dead from the beginning. Two decades ago, the bassist joined the group's other surviving members for a reunion tour of the United States in 2003 and finally a series of concerts in 2015.

Lesh was born in Berkeley, California, in 1940. He started out playing violin before switching to trumpet and later to bass, the instrument he played in Grateful Dead. The band was known for blending rock, folk and jazz, becoming one of the most influential bands of the genre in the United States. Their music played a key role in shaping the soundtrack of the 1960s countercultural movement.

Lesh's Instagram account posted that he "brought immense joy to all those around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love." It added a request that fans "respect the privacy of the Lesh family at this time."