Lesh had previously been treated for prostate cancer in 2006. He underwent a successful operation in December of 2006 to have it removed, and later released a statement stating the cancer was gone.
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Lesh says he will be able to return to normal activities two weeks after surgery and will reschedule the canceled dates. Unfortunately, that means I will have to cancel the PLF shows scheduled for October 24/25. The concerts will be rescheduled.
Following the disbanding, Lesh played with offshoot outfits The Dead and The Other Ones, as well as founding namesake outfit Phil Lesh & Friends, with whom he remains active.
As reported by Radio, the rocker revealed to fans that he is fighting bladder cancer via a post on Terrapin Crossroads’ Facebook page.
The California-born Lesh in 1965 was a founding member of the Grateful Dead, which has been one of the most influential bands in rock music history with legions of “Deadhead” fans who often went from town to town following the band on tour.
Lesh has been playing with assorted musicians under the banner Phil Lesh and Friends since 1998, and has his own venue, the Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, California, which is where the two cancelled shows were due to have taken place.
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The Grateful Dead was closely entwined with the hippie movement and was known for the wide range of American musical styles it embraced and for its devotion to jamming and the live concert experience. Former members of the group include Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Robert Hunter, Tom Constanten, Keith Godchaux, Donna Jean Godchaux, Brent Mydland, and Vince Welnick.
