Phil Lesh, the bassist for the Grateful Dead, has bladder cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., and expects to make a full recovery.
After canceling several shows, Lesh disclosed the news on the Facebook page for Terrapin Crossroads, the restaurant and concert venue he owns in San Rafael, Calif.
He wrote:
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.
This is Lesh’s second battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006.
Lesh is a founding member of the Grateful Dead.
