Phil Lesh: Grateful Dead co-founder dies aged 84

Lesh was born in Berkeley, California, in 1940. He started out as a violin player before switching to trumpet, and later to bass guitar when he joined The Grateful Dead in 1965.

For the next three decades his improvisational skills complemented the melodies of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia and bandmates Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzman and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan.

He was best known for the song Unbroken Chain, about the band’s connection with its audience.

Lesh also sang the wistful Box Of Rain, which he wrote while his father was dying.

Loyal fans, known as “Deadheads”, would often follow the band from city to city across the US to hear them play at packed-out concerts.

The band always made it easy for its fans to record its concerts and distribute tapes to their peers around the world.

Despite their massive following, they notched up only one top 10 hit in the US with Touch of Grey in 1987.