RIP Uncle Phil....Phil Lesh Bassist of the Grateful Dead passed this morning

[TRENT]

I started playing the guitar in 3rd grade,,,but it was to much for me..In 5th grade I took up the Trumpet. Learned so much from my Instructor, and really enjoyed it..In late 78 My drummer came to my house and said hey Pat,,,we need a bass player..U played the guitar right? I said yeah when I was 9....So I went out and bought an Ibanez Blazer bass...was a heavy ash wood knock off of a Pbass.
I became obsessed and in 1981 bought my ovation Legend 6 string acoustic, and played 8 hrs a day!...I'm not a big guy, and have small hands,,,was told,,hey kid this might be tough for you....I joined the Jazz band in 1980 in HS...bought an Upright bass.."Double bass"...and worked my ass off...By 1982 I had a customized Black Rick like geddy lee's, and we were playing a slew of killer heavy metal covers...was so much fun,,a year or 2 later a friend took me to my 1st Dead show,,got in for free,,got doesed,,,and well the rest is history!

I met the band in 92 at the 4 season in Washington, Held the door for Phil,, he shook my hand and said thanks...Just a normal guy.
I seen the dead about 280 times....JGB about 35 times, and the newer installments of the dead about 40 more shows.....Phil taught me so much about being the railroad tracks that the band road upon...any other musician can flub or make a mistake because you were consistent. Phil always found his way back to the root notes...at his height he was a fantastic musician,,,but in reality..he was great person, friend, Father, band mate, song smith, and teacher,,,with a soul as deep as it was kind....Losing the Ox and Chris Squire was rough,,Jack Bruce too...Chris was very dear to my heart and my style comes from him....But I will always remember every moment of Joy Phil brought to so many lives....Truly a sad day for all,,, especially the dead head community.....RIP My friend...miss you already.

[art vandelay]

Good stories Trent. Sorry to hear you lost a guy you'd seen so many times today. He was a good one.

[TRENT]

Good stories Trent. Sorry to hear you lost a guy you'd seen so many times today. He was a good one.

thanks..we always complain about what we didn't see, or lament shows missed..Instead we should treasure the one we did see!
I was very Blessed!

[IronEagle]

This news makes me sad. But Phil Lesh did a lot of great things and his music brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people. I feel fortunate to have been able to have seen the Grateful Dead where they were still going strong.

[The Duck]

I'm still kicking myself for not going to the Dylan and the Dead show that shut down JFK.

[TRENT]

I'm still kicking myself for not going to the Dylan and the Dead show that shut down JFK.

yeah the year before that was tom Petty and Dylan opening for the dead
think it was 87 when it was just Dylan and the dead,,the dead were his backing band,,,was the best I ever heard Dylan in my life!
One thing about that Final show at JFK,,,it was the only show I saw the dead not have an intermission...they played the whole show in One shot...don't even think they walked off stage for the encore...I'll have to ask a friend.

[IronEagle]

I was at the Dylan and the Dead show at JFK. Drove down from Long Island. Don't think I saw you there, but who knows?!? I don't remember if they ever left the stage for the encore.

People say the Vet was a sh*thole. Now JFK in '87... THAT was a sh*thole.

[TRENT]

I was at the Dylan and the Dead show at JFK. Drove down from Long Island. Don't think I saw you there, but who knows?!? I don't remember if they ever left the stage for the encore.

People say the Vet was a sh*thole. Now JFK in '87... THAT was a sh*thole.

in 86 when Dylan and Petty had their noses in the Mic together..I ran underneath the façade to smoke a joint,,,and the asbestos was just oozing out of the concrete...Basically I said,,Um No...turned around and walked to the bleachers...yeah,,,she was old,,but so many good memories!
and I miss the concrete Monster! Loved the Vet!

[BirdsInNC]

Phil was one of the bass players that made me want to pick up the electric bass. Between his tone and his melodic approach to the role, I always held Phil in a class of his own. He was the anchor that held down countless excursions onstage with the Grateful Dead. My best friend and I are long time Deadheads and I always love playing (or trying to play) Phil's parts. His improvisational skills were a thing to behold. It sure was some gut punch to read that news yesterday. RIP Phil. May the four winds blow you safely home.

[TRENT]

Do remember you are deadhead..so many go through the gates and on the board through the years...Srry for you and your friends....Here is the 1st ever unbroken Chain from the spectrum In 95..
Mail order sent Me 8th row center yup 102 row 8 for this show,,of course I had no idea..I showed at my seats and two of my oldest tour buddies were in the seats directly in front of us..Blew my mind!
Was very special to be there..you can hear the crowd lose it as Jerry plays the 1st few notes. No town deserved it more than Philly. The Philly heads always made a chain out of Baloons and passed it around the Spectrum for Years!..and for those who think my numbers are crazy...My 1 friend who works for GDP Video and Audio has seen them 550 times..and Big Biker K...my good friend who was a hells angel,,get this,,1200 shows....I was always the Jr...always the least talent musician on the stage...and I was always Grateful to be there!

[Two Gap Penetrator]

Never saw them once. Now in my older years I can appreciate it, but when I was younger I was into hard rock and metal and then started branching out into jazz. Never went down that folk road. It’s just my personal taste.

[TRENT]

Trucking up to Buffalo.....had the rail for this show, Im so short,,couldn't see that well......lol....hindsight is 20/20

[TRENT]

Never saw them once. Now in my older years I can appreciate it, but when I was younger I was into hard rock and metal and then started branching out into jazz. Never went down that folk road. It’s just my personal taste.

bump

[Two Gap Penetrator]

Who's that guy with the short-shorts? What about that drummer with the crazy eyebrows? IDK I just tune out when it gets to be like a cult. Like all of these Springsteen people. I just listened to that Bertha song on your video and he literally sang the chorus like 25,000 times and it just went on too long. Less is more, Jerry.

[TRENT]

Who's that guy with the short-shorts? What about that drummer with the crazy eyebrows? IDK I just tune out when it gets to be like a cult. Like all of these Springsteen people. I just listened to that Bertha song on your video and he literally sang the chorus like 25,000 times and it just went on too long. Less is more, Jerry.

Bobby wearing his 70's short shorts,,,we used to fun him all the time...Mickey Hart has the eyebrows,,playing drums stage left. Yeah this is 80's dead and they were waaay more efficient then, than in the 70's,,,those are short versions of the songs..I had a friend went and saw the dead in 72 or 73 after about 45 mins,and 3 songs,,he couldn't take it and had to leave...there is saying...The dead are like Black Licorice you love it or you h8 it...I can't stand Bruce 10 days till sunday!...I gave away front row seats @ the spectrum the year Born in the USA came out,,,BLAAAAAAAAAAAH!