"Honoring a legend in style" — Fans react as Empire State Building pays tie dye tribute to Phil Lesh

Grateful Dead’s founding member and bassist Phil Lesh passed away on Friday, October 25. New York’s Empire State Building paid tribute to the psychedelic band’s founder by illuminating the skyscraper in tye-dye colors on October 26, with fans expressing awe over the jaw-dropping colors on the internet. The musician was 84 years old at the time of his passing.

On October 26, the Empire State Building took to its official X account to share a video of the establishment lit up in multiple hues. The tweet mentioned, “Tonight from 9-10PM we will shine in tie-dye to honor the life and legacy of Phil Lesh”

For those uninitiated, Phil Lesh founded the rock band in Palo Alto in 1965 alongside fellow members, with Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann being the only remaining members of the rock band. Recently, Rolling Stone magazine went on to name Lesh as the 11th greatest bass player of all time.

The publication also went on to name him as influential as the band’s leading man, Jerry Garcia who tragically died in 1995. The publication said:

“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.”

Fans of the band have since taken to social media to express their gratitude and excitement over the Empire State Building, paying tribute to the legendary instrumentalist.

"Love ut! Honoring a legend in style," commented one user.

Others expressed similar sentiments with them sharing their memories of the band online. Comments read:

“The Phil Lesh death is hitting a lot harder than I thought it would. I guess when an artist is a part of your life for 30 years, even in the lesser prominent roles, it’s a blow,” an X user said.

“R.I.P. Phil, see ya down the road,” another platform user said.

“Rest in Peace Phil Lesh. You were an Icon of the 70s. The GratefulDead was/is still one of my all-time bands. Thank you for making rock amazing,” a netizen commented.

Grateful Dead was best known for creating tracks that were a mixture of rock, folk, country and jazz. Meanwhile, other reactions read:

“So worthy. He loved that City,” a netizen said.

“Such a nice tribute. Thanks from all of us,” a platform user said.

“RIP Phil! Please give Jerry a huge hug from all of us,” an X user said.

Phil Lesh was last on stage in March at The Capitol Theatre, where he and other artists celebrated his 84th birthday. Meanwhile, other reactions read:

“RIP Phil! Such a long time to be gone, and a short time to be there,” an X user said.

“Breaks my Deadhand heart,” another internet user said.

“Fair thee well, fair thee well We love you more than words can tell,” a platform user commented.

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Official statement about Phil Lesh’s death explored as bassist passes away at 84

On October 25, Lesh’s team shared an official statement on Instagram where they revealed that the bassist passed away “peacefully this morning and was surrounded by his family and full of love.” The post also read:

“Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.”

Phil Chapman Lesh, a Berkley, California, native, was born on March 15, 1940. He began playing instruments at a young age, initially picking up the violin. He went on to change his preferred genre from classical to “cool jazz” big band trumpet, according to the band’s official website.

Lesh went on to study with Italian composer Luciano Berio before he joined the band.

Speaking about Lesh’s craft, Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist of Phish, said in an Instagram post:

“Phil was more than a revolutionary, groundbreaking bass player- he transformed how I thought about music as a teenager.”

Lesh is survived by his wife, Jill, and their two sons, Brian and Grahame.