Philip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940) is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career.

After the band’s disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of Grateful Dead family music with side project Phil Lesh and Friends, which paid homage to the Dead’s music by playing their originals, common covers, and the songs of the members of his band. Phil Lesh & Friends helped keep a legitimate entity for the band’s music to continue. Recently, Lesh has opened a music venue called Terrapin Crossroads. He retired from touring in 2014 but continues to perform with Phil Lesh & Friends at select venues. From 2009 to 2014 he performed in Furthur alongside his former Grateful Dead band mate Bob Weir.

Happy Birthday, Phil Lesh!

I have picked two, of many, Bob Dylan related videos to celebrate Phil Lesh.

First a fabulous West L.A. Fadeaway from November 1999 Phil Lesh with Bob Dylan and his band tearing through this classic Grateful Dead tune. As a bonus we get a great Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly) fantastic stuff!:

My second clip is an acoustic cover of Dylan’s She belongs to me together with Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia in 1992, wonderful rendition:

– Hallgeir