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.

As tribute poured out from users online, Lesh’s surviving bandmates Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and even the family of late member Jerry Garcia penned heartfelt messages.

Bassist Phil Lesh, whose dense, inventive playing powered the Grateful Dead and, following the 1995 death of guitarist Jerry Garcia, many of the San Francisco band’s touring reincarnations, died Friday. He was 84.