Phil Lesh Reveals Battle with Cancer

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Grateful Dead bassist and founding member Phil Lesh, 75, has canceled concerts on October 24th and 25th after revealing that he is battling bladder cancer. Fortunately, he expects to make a full recovery and plans to be back on the road in just a few weeks.

On Friday, he wrote the following letter to fans on Facebook.

“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 [Phil Lesh & Friends] 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 [his San Rafael, CA club Terrapin Crossroads] before we leave, so I hope to see you there at Terrapin.”

Lesh participated in the Dead’s “Fare Thee Well” shows this summer, but he is the only one of the surviving members who will not be joining the Dead & Company tour with John Mayer later this month. He previously battled prostate cancer in 2006.