Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead whose nuanced bass playing made him an architect of the band's otherworldly sound, died on Friday at age 84, his Instagram account said.

Tributes poured in from the music world and New York's Empire State Building said it would illuminate the skyscraper in tie-dye colors to honor a member of the psychedelic band known for lengthy improvisations in its live shows, which drew dedicated "Dead Head" fans known for traveling from concert to concert.

The Instagram post said he died peacefully, surrounded by family.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lesh as the 11th greatest bass player of all time, though he also sang lead and backing vocals. Many fans considered him as influential as the band's front man, Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995.

"His idea - 'play bass and lead at the same time,' his notes darting in and around the melody - became as recognizable a part of the Dead's sound as Garcia's guitar," Rolling Stone said.

"Phil was more than a revolutionary, groundbreaking bass player - he transformed how I thought about music as a teenager," Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist of Phish, wrote on Instagram.

Formed in California in 1965, the Dead came to prominence during the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco, a counterculture movement that embraced peace, love and hallucinogenic drugs.

But the Dead's music endured much longer than that as a mixture of rock, folk, country and jazz.

After Garcia's death, longtime players Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart formed various lineups under the name Dead &amp; Company, while Lesh opted instead to create Phil Lesh and Friends, which played until 2023.

Philip Chapman Lesh was born on March 15, 1940, in Berkeley, California, and began playing classical violin before switching to "cool jazz" big-band trumpet, his official Dead biography said.

He later studied with experimental Italian composer Luciano Berio before his friend Garcia told him in 1965 that he was the new bass player for the Warlocks, Garcia's band that was a precursor to the Grateful Dead.

Lesh responded, "Why not?"

Lesh is survived by his wife, Jill Lesh, and their two sons, Grahame and Brian.

Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead whose nuanced bass playing made him an architect of the band's otherworldly sound, died on Friday at age 84, his Instagram account said.

Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead whose nuanced bass playing made him an architect of the band's otherworldly sound, died on Friday at age 84, his Instagram account said. Tributes poured in from the music world and New York's Empire State Building said it would illuminate the skyscraper in tie-dye colors to honor a member of the psychedelic band known for lengthy improvisations in its live shows, which drew dedicated "Dead Head" fans known for traveling from concert to concert. The Instagram post said he died peacefully, surrounded by family. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lesh as the 11th greatest bass player of all time, though he also sang lead and backing vocals. Many fans considered him as influential as the band's front man, Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995. "His idea - 'play bass and lead at the same time,' his notes darting in and around the melody - became as recognizable a part of the Dead's sound as Garcia's guitar," Rolling Stone said. "Phil was more than a revolutionary, groundbreaking bass player - he transformed how I thought about music as a teenager," Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist of Phish, wrote on Instagram. Formed in California in 1965, the Dead came to prominence during the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco, a counterculture movement that embraced peace, love and hallucinogenic drugs. But the Dead's music endured much longer than that as a mixture of rock, folk, country and jazz. After Garcia's death, longtime players Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart formed various lineups under the name Dead & Company, while Lesh opted instead to create Phil Lesh and Friends, which played until 2023. Philip Chapman Lesh was born on March 15, 1940, in Berkeley, California, and began playing classical violin before switching to "cool jazz" big-band trumpet, his official Dead biography said. He later studied with experimental Italian composer Luciano Berio before his friend Garcia told him in 1965 that he was the new bass player for the Warlocks, Garcia's band that was a precursor to the Grateful Dead. Lesh responded, "Why not?" Lesh is survived by his wife, Jill Lesh, and their two sons, Grahame and Brian.

Phil Lesh, bassist and founder of Grateful Dead, dies at age 84

Some of the most iconic artifacts in The Grateful Dead history are going up for sale. Auction house Analogr are selling off a plethora of items, including frontman Jerry Garcia's last touring rig and a production case left untouched after the final performance of the band on July 9, 1995.

Up for sale: Tour folder of Grateful Dead with notes of tehir 1972 European tour

Martin Scorsese is on board to direct and produce a new untitled biopic on the Grateful Dead. It will have Jonah Hill on board to play the group’s frontman, Jerry Garcia.&nbsp;

Jonah will also produce the film through his Strong Baby banner along with his producing partner Matt Dines.&nbsp;

The Apple project will have writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who received rave reviews for penning ‘American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson’.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-king-richard-will-smith-surprises-tennis-players-in-wimbledon-ahead-of-film-release-430411" hreflang="en">King Richard: Will Smith surprises tennis players ahead of film release</a>

Rick Yorn of LBI Entertainment will join Jonah Hill and Martin Scorsese as producers. The Dead’s Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will executive produce along with their late bandmate’s daughter Trixie Garcia, Eric Eisner and Bernie Cahill.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-watch-marry-me-trailer-as-jennifer-lopez-owen-wilson-get-caught-in-a-strange-love-story-430399" hreflang="en">Watch 'Marry Me' trailer as Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson star together</a>

The film’s plot hasn’t been revealed but the band’s story goes back to its formation in the Bay Area amid the rise of the psychedelic counterculture of the ’60s. They continued to record albums and tour, with Deadhead fans following them throughout the years all over the country for jam sessions.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-meghan-markle-to-appear-on-the-ellen-degeneres-show-watch-the-trailer-here-430303" hreflang="en">Meghan Markle to appear on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', watch the trailer here</a>

In addition, Martin Scorsese and his production banner Sikelia Productions signed a first-look deal with Apple last year for film and TV.&nbsp;

Martin Scorsese is on board to direct and produce a new untitled biopic on the Grateful Dead. It will have Jonah Hill on board to play the group’s frontman, Jerry Garcia.

Martin Scorsese is on board to direct and produce a new untitled biopic on the Grateful Dead. It will have Jonah Hill on board to play the group’s frontman, Jerry Garcia. Jonah will also produce the film through his Strong Baby banner along with his producing partner Matt Dines. The Apple project will have writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who received rave reviews for penning ‘American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson’. Also read: King Richard: Will Smith surprises tennis players ahead of film release Rick Yorn of LBI Entertainment will join Jonah Hill and Martin Scorsese as producers. The Dead’s Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will executive produce along with their late bandmate’s daughter Trixie Garcia, Eric Eisner and Bernie Cahill. Also read: Watch 'Marry Me' trailer as Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson star together The film’s plot hasn’t been revealed but the band’s story goes back to its formation in the Bay Area amid the rise of the psychedelic counterculture of the ’60s. They continued to record albums and tour, with Deadhead fans following them throughout the years all over the country for jam sessions. Also read: Meghan Markle to appear on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', watch the trailer here In addition, Martin Scorsese and his production banner Sikelia Productions signed a first-look deal with Apple last year for film and TV.

Martin Scorsese to direct Grateful Dead biopic with Jonah Hill in the lead

A guitar of the late rock icon Jerry Garcia is set to go on auction in two weeks, and could become one of the most expensive guitars ever sold. The guitar, nicknamed Wolf, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39794386">will be sold</a> by the auction house <a href="https://www.guernseys.com/v2/wolf.html">Guernsey&#39;s</a> on May 31 and could fetch close to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2017/05/04/jerry-garcia-guitar-auction/101305352/">a million dollars</a>.

Garcia, leader of the American rock band The Grateful Dead, first played Wolf in 1973 and used it extensively in the 1977 concert film The Grateful Dead Movie.

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&#39;Wolf&#39; could be sold for around a million dollars on May 31 (AFP)
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If Wolf fetches around a million dollars, how would the price compare to that of other guitars sold on auction? Here&#39;s a list of the top five:

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We see that if Wolf is sold for a million dollars, it would be the 3rd most expensive guitar ever sold on auction.

That would still put it far behind the most expensive guitar ever sold--a Fender Stratocaster <a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-guitar-sold-at-auction">auctioned off</a> for $2.7 million in 2005. It was signed by rock legends Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney among others and was sold to raise funds for the Qatar-based charity <a href="http://www.reachouttoasia.org/">Reach Out to Asia</a>.

Wolf would also be behind a Gibson guitar <a href="http://www.guitarworld.com/acoustics-gear-features-news-blogs-gear-news-acoustic-nation/how-john-lennons-long-lost-24-million">used by John Lennon</a> during the recording of the Beatles&#39; debut album Please Please Me back in 1963.

A guitar belonging to Jerry Garcia is set to be auctioned for a million dollars

A guitar of the late rock icon Jerry Garcia is set to go on auction in two weeks, and could become one of the most expensive guitars ever sold. The guitar, nicknamed Wolf, will be sold by the auction house Guernsey's on May 31 and could fetch close to a million dollars. Garcia, leader of the American rock band The Grateful Dead, first played Wolf in 1973 and used it extensively in the 1977 concert film The Grateful Dead Movie. 'Wolf' could be sold for around a million dollars on May 31 (AFP) × If Wolf fetches around a million dollars, how would the price compare to that of other guitars sold on auction? Here's a list of the top five: We see that if Wolf is sold for a million dollars, it would be the 3rd most expensive guitar ever sold on auction. That would still put it far behind the most expensive guitar ever sold--a Fender Stratocaster auctioned off for $2.7 million in 2005. It was signed by rock legends Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney among others and was sold to raise funds for the Qatar-based charity Reach Out to Asia. Wolf would also be behind a Gibson guitar used by John Lennon during the recording of the Beatles' debut album Please Please Me back in 1963.

Garcia guitar could become 3rd-most expensive guitar sold

Rock &#39;n&#39; roll would sound very different without Chuck Berry&#39;s immense contribution. Here are some facts about Berry, who died on Saturday at the age of 90:

* Before music, Berry worked as a carpenter, a freelance photographer, auto plant janitor and hairdresser.

* Despite writing several rock &#39;n&#39; roll classics, Berry&#39;s only number&nbsp;one&nbsp;song was 1972&#39;s &quot;My Ding-a-Ling&quot;, a live recording of a novelty song he had written years earlier. Many radio stations refused to play it because of its bawdy nature.

* Berry&#39;s trouble with the law started early. A teenage Berry ended up in reform school for armed robbery.

He went to prison in 1962 for violating the Mann Act (transporting a minor across state lines for immoral purposes) after a teenage girl, who he met in Texas and hired to work in his St&nbsp;Louis nightclub, was arrested for prostitution.

In the 1970s he went back to prison for tax evasion. Several women filed suit in 1990 claiming Berry had secretly videotaped them in bathrooms of his restaurants.

* In 1972 Berry told Rolling Stone that his anthemic &quot;Johnnie B Goode&quot; originally had a line saying &quot;that little coloured boy could play&quot; but he changed it to &quot;country boy&quot; in order to get it on the radio. The song was partly autobiographical.

* Berry&#39;s 60th birthday concert, featured in the documentary &quot;Hail! Hail! Rock &#39;n&#39; Roll&quot;, was filmed in 1986 at the Fox Theatre. The same St&nbsp;Louis theater had turned away Berry for racist reasons in his childhood when his father took him there to see the movie &quot;A Tale of Two Cities&quot;.

* An 8-foot (2.4 metres) bronze statue of Berry was unveiled near St&nbsp;Louis in 2011, despite protests that it was inappropriate because of Berry&#39;s criminal record.

*The legendary astronomer and humanitarian Carl Sagan wrote a letter to Chuck Berry, putting his musical legacy into perspective: &quot;When they tell you your music will live forever, you can usually be sure they&#39;re exaggerating. But Johnny B. Goode is on the Voyager interstaller records attached to NASA&#39;s Voyager spacecraft -- now two billion miles from Earth and bound for the stars...These records will last a billion years or more.&quot;

* A non-exhaustive list of music legends who covered his songs includes: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones,&nbsp;The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Elton John, The Sex Pistols and countless more.

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(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Read about Berry's various run ins with the law, the legends who played his songs, and how Berry's music is literally out of this world

Rock 'n' roll would sound very different without Chuck Berry's immense contribution. Here are some facts about Berry, who died on Saturday at the age of 90: * Before music, Berry worked as a carpenter, a freelance photographer, auto plant janitor and hairdresser. * Despite writing several rock 'n' roll classics, Berry's only number one song was 1972's "My Ding-a-Ling", a live recording of a novelty song he had written years earlier. Many radio stations refused to play it because of its bawdy nature. * Berry's trouble with the law started early. A teenage Berry ended up in reform school for armed robbery. He went to prison in 1962 for violating the Mann Act (transporting a minor across state lines for immoral purposes) after a teenage girl, who he met in Texas and hired to work in his St Louis nightclub, was arrested for prostitution. In the 1970s he went back to prison for tax evasion. Several women filed suit in 1990 claiming Berry had secretly videotaped them in bathrooms of his restaurants. * In 1972 Berry told Rolling Stone that his anthemic "Johnnie B Goode" originally had a line saying "that little coloured boy could play" but he changed it to "country boy" in order to get it on the radio. The song was partly autobiographical. * Berry's 60th birthday concert, featured in the documentary "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll", was filmed in 1986 at the Fox Theatre. The same St Louis theater had turned away Berry for racist reasons in his childhood when his father took him there to see the movie "A Tale of Two Cities". * An 8-foot (2.4 metres) bronze statue of Berry was unveiled near St Louis in 2011, despite protests that it was inappropriate because of Berry's criminal record. *The legendary astronomer and humanitarian Carl Sagan wrote a letter to Chuck Berry, putting his musical legacy into perspective: "When they tell you your music will live forever, you can usually be sure they're exaggerating. But Johnny B. Goode is on the Voyager interstaller records attached to NASA's Voyager spacecraft -- now two billion miles from Earth and bound for the stars...These records will last a billion years or more." * A non-exhaustive list of music legends who covered his songs includes: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Elton John, The Sex Pistols and countless more. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Some facts about rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry, who died Saturday at age 90

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Phil Lesh, bassist and founder of Grateful Dead, dies at age 84

Up for sale: Tour folder of Grateful Dead with notes of tehir 1972 European tour

Martin Scorsese to direct Grateful Dead biopic with Jonah Hill in the lead

Garcia guitar could become 3rd-most expensive guitar sold

Some facts about rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry, who died Saturday at age 90