“I cherish the memories of playing with him”

Phish's Trey Anastasio, who performed alongside Phil Lesh at both the Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well shows and Phil and Friends concerts, paid tribute to the bassist on Friday following Lesh's death at age 84.

“I was deeply saddened to hear that my friend Phil Lesh passed away this morning,” Anastasio wrote on social media. “Phil was more than a revolutionary, groundbreaking bassist – he changed the way I thought about music as a teenager. I have countless memories of standing in awe and listening to his sinuous, eloquent bass lines blending seamlessly with the guitars of Jerry and Bobby, the keys of Brent Mydland, and the thundering drums of Billy and Mickey. I’m so grateful for these beautiful memories.”

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Anastasio, whose jam band Phish was indebted to the Dead and the following they cultivated, first shared the stage with Lesh in April 1999, when he and Phish keyboardist Page McConnell performed at a Phil and Friends show in the Home of the Dead in San Francisco.

“When I first played with Phil in 1999, I discovered that he was not only an amazing musician, but also a truly kind and wonderful man,” the guitarist wrote. “I cherish the memories of playing with him, eating and laughing together, visiting his home and getting to know him as a friend.”

Anastasio, filling in for the late Jerry Garcia, also attended the Dead's final concerts – and the last time they performed with Lesh in the lineup – at the Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago and Santa Clara, California that year 2015.

“The Fare Thee Well shows were very special with so many family members and longtime friends sharing these precious moments together backstage,” Anastasio added.

Lesh's death was announced Friday; No cause of death was given. “Phil Lesh, bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, passed away peacefully this morning,” a statement on social media said. “He was surrounded by his family and full of love. Phil brought great joy to everyone around him and leaves a legacy full of music and love. We ask that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.”

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