Social media tributes pay homage to Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh

There was an outpouring of sadness and gratitude in the Bay Area and across the globe Friday as musicians and music fans paid tribute to founding bassist of the Grateful Dead Phil Lesh, who died at age 84.

A post on his Instagram account said the musician "passed peacefully this morning."

The official X account for Lesh's late bandmate Jerry Garcia and his estate posted a heartfelt remembrance of the bass player.

"We are devastated to learn of Phil's passage to the next life. We will miss his sharply dry humor, wry smiles and brilliant insights. Our hearts and our love go out to his beloved wife and family. He truly lived for them with all his being," said a message that was attributed to the Garcia family and posted with a pair of photos of the two friends.

"P.S. say hi to Jerry," the post added.

The progressive bluegrass group the Infamous Stringdusters also paid homage on X.

"He was always so kind, and he welcomed us into the Terrapin fold with open arms. His impact on us, and music as a whole can't be overstated. He'll be gratefully missed," the post said.  

 Chuck D of the legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy paid tribute with a sketch and a simple sentence: "Phil Lesh kept it going."    

San Francisco Mayor London Breed posted a tribute on X to the bassist.

"Phil Lesh was more than a bassist-he was a San Francisco icon who helped define an era and shape the world of music," Breed wrote. She also noted that City Hall would be lit in Lesh's honor Friday night. 

The San Francisco Giants posted about Lesh, calling hime "a true San Francisco legend and a cherished part of our #SFGiants family. His unforgettable music and presence at Oracle Park will live on forever."  

However there were also in-person tributes as many people stopped by the Grateful Dead house in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury to leave flowers -- roses were popular -- and notes for the bassist.

"I couldn't not be here," said Dead fan Erin Fulfer. "I've been a Deadhead since I was eight years old when my cousin took me to my first concert. They've just been a part of my life for so long. The minute I saw the news pop up on my phone, I came down here. Without even thinking."

"All of the memories of the Dead, and the continuing, somehow the sustainable and growing love of that music, it's still relevant," said Mark, who came by the Grateful Dead house on Ashbury Street. "You could have seen Phil playing with his band last summer."

Lesh's eclectic musical background -- a classically trained violinist and trumpet player -- made him a perfect match for guitarist Jerry Garcia, said former Dead publicist Dennis McNally.

"Under the influence of psychedelics, and their friendship, and the music they played, they each were able to retain enough of where they were coming from," McNally told CBS News Bay Area. "And yet, to make a consummate whole. It was what I call American string band music. Because it had everything. It had some jazz. It had some classical. It had some gospel. It had everything."

There were also tributes posted by venues across the country where the Grateful Dead and Lesh with his own group Phil and Friends had performed, including Madison Square Garden in New York. The Empire State Building even lit up in tie-dye colors to pay tribute.

Wilson Walker contributed to this report.

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• Music
• Grateful Dead
• San Francisco