Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead whose nuanced bass playing made him an architect of the band's otherworldly sound, died on Friday at age 84, his Instagram account said. Tributes poured in from the music world and New York's Empire State Building said it would illuminate the skyscraper in tie-dye colors to honor a member of the psychedelic band known for lengthy improvisations in its live shows,

Playing in the Grateful Dead 'turned out to be life,' said Phil Lesh, founding bassist for the band who died Oct. 25 at the age of 84.

Phil Lesh, a classically trained musician who found his true calling as a rock bass guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, died at 84.