Philip Chapman Lesh was born on March 15, 1940, in Berkeley, California, United States. He is an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, where he played bass guitar for 30 years.
Philip Lesh and Friends, a side project, was created after the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995. This project paid homage to the Dead's music by playing their originals, common covers, and the songs of the members of his band. He also operated a music venue called Terrapin Crossroads.
In 2009, Lesh started performing with Furthur, alongside former Grateful Dead bandmate Bob Weir, until 2014. He scaled back his touring regimen in 2014 but continues to perform with Phil Lesh & Friends at select venues.
Philip Lesh started out as a violin player, but switched to trumpet while in high school. He developed an interest in avant-garde classical music and free jazz under the guidance of Bob Hansen, conductor of the symphonic Golden Gate Park Band.
Lesh attended San Francisco State University for a semester but was unable to secure a position in the school's band or orchestra. He then successfully auditioned for the Sixth Army Band but was deemed unfit for military service.
Lesh enrolled at the College of San Mateo, where he wrote charts for the community college's big band and ascended to the first trumpet chair. He befriended future Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten and studied under Italian modernist Luciano Berio at Mills College.
Lesh volunteered for KPFA as a recording engineer, where he met bluegrass banjo player Jerry Garcia. They formed a friendship and collaborated on various projects, including a stint with the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
In 1964, Lesh was asked to become the bassist for Garcia's new rock band, The Warlocks, despite never having played bass before. He joined the band for their third or fourth gig and stayed until the end.
