Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh posted an open letter to fans on the Terrapin Crossroads website yesterday, informing them of an ongoing battle with bladder cancer over the last few months. Lesh, 75, was forced to cancel two upcoming performances with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood on October 24-25 at his San Rafael, CA venue, as he has been undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic and is undergoing surgery to remove the tumors.
Fortunately, as per Lesh’s note, it seems that his prognosis is for a full recovery, as the bassist shared that the tumors are non-aggressive, and “there is no indication that they have spread.” You can read all of Lesh’s message below:
Dear Friends,
I am sorry to let you know that I will need to cancel the October 24th and 25th Phil & Friends shows with Chris Robinson.
I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in early October, and have spent the last few weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale doing tests and eventually surgery to remove the tumors. I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are all non aggressive, and that there is no indication that they have spread.
So thanks to my local doctor Cliff Sewell, and the incredible team at the Mayo Clinic, all is well and I can return to normal activities in two weeks from my surgery. Unfortunately, that means I will have to cancel the PLF shows scheduled for Oct 24/25. We will reschedule these shows as soon as we can, but in the meantime, keep a lookout for a free Grate Room show before I leave for the East Coast shows. I also plan to pop in and jam in the bar before we leave, so I hope to see you there at Terrapin.
Love Will See You Through….
-Phil
PS Ticket refund info will be posted soon
We wish Phil Lesh all the best in his recovery process and encourage everyone to do the same.