Known for helping form the Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh spent three decades touring with the band before the members decided to part ways. Even after the band ended, Lesh continued to honor their legacy with the group Phil Lesh and Friends. Sadly, on October 25th, the musician passed away at 84 years old. With numerous musicians and stars taking a moment to honor Lesh, recently, Lukas Nelson joined forces with Ryan Bingham, Mike Campbell, and Benmont Tench to honor the musician’s contributions to music.
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Hitting the road for the Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson tour, the group originally looked to honor the legacy of Robertson, but with Lesh passing away, the group decided to honor them both. Performing at the Boulder Theater on Friday night, Nelson, Bingham, Campbell, and Belmont believed the best way to pay their respects was by giving a cover of the Grateful Dead’s hit song “Truckin.”
Writing by Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Robert Hunter, and Lesh, the song went through a few changes before hitting the airwaves. But when fans finally heard the song, it made its way onto the U.S. Pop Singles chart and stayed there for eight weeks. Speaking to the crowd, Nelson explained, “We lost a good one today, and I know a lot of y’all care about him, Phil Lesh. We love the Grateful Dead, we’d love to do this one for him.”
[RELATED: 4 Unforgettable Grateful Dead Songs Co-Written by Phil Lesh]
Phil Lesh Showered In Love And Praise After Death
As for the performance, fans couldn’t get enough of the tribute, praising the singers. “I know Phil was pleased with that one. By golly, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone else do Truckin other than the Dead. Great job! Thanks for sharing. RIP Phil” Another person added, “I don’t see a bass – maybe that’s cause Phil isn’t with us. But I see a sousaphone! I used to play one. Great cover of Truckin.”
Although not many details surrounding Lesh’s passing were released, his Instagram page was updated with a picture of the musician. The caption read, “Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of The Grateful Dead, passed peacefully this morning. He was surrounded by his family and full of love. Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and left behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.”
(Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
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