Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh, has been stricken with bladder cancer and was forced to cancel shows at Terrapin Crossroads, the restaurant and music venue located in San Rafael, California, that he curates. Lesh canceled the shows in a statement posted to the website for Terrapin Crossroads. The bassist received the diagnosis earlier this month, but had kept it private from the public up until now.
NBC News reported that he is currently under care at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona in order to extract the tumors but his prognosis looks good and the legendary bassist is forecasted to completely recover from the illness. He also suffered from prostrate cancer back in 2006 and made a successful recovery.
The shows that he had to cancel due to his diagnosis were for his group Phil & Friends, comprised of members of Phish, The Black Crowes and the Allman Brothers Band. This particular string of shows was scheduled to run next week (Oct. 24-25) and would have featured Chris Robinson of the since-dissolved group, The Black Crowes. Ticket purchasers are due to receive a full refund.
"I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are non-aggressive, and there is no indication that they have spread," Lesh said in his statement according to Billboard. Legions of fans can breath a sigh of relief at the news as he further said, "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 surgery."
NBC News further reported that the last Grateful Dead group performance was held this past July with the four remaining members at Chicago's Soldier Field, excluding Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995.
