Phil Lesh Diagnosed with Bladder Cancer

Shockwaves rippled through the jam world last night as Phil Lesh released a statement announcing he is battling bladder cancer, and has been forced to cancel the Phil and Friends shows with Chris Robinson scheduled for the 24th and 25th of this month.

phil lesh cancer

The statement reads as follows:

Dear Friends,

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.

Love Will See You Through….
-Phil

PS Ticket refund info will be posted soon

While nothing is known about Lesh’s prognosis beyond the statement, the general consensus is that while the news is worrisome, the non-aggressive nature of the tumors that were removed and the quick turnaround from surgery indicate some reason for optimism about the Grateful Dead founding member’s well being.

Lesh’s run of shows at The Capitol Theatre scheduled for Oct. 30 and 31, and November 6 and 7 are still on at this point in time.

The whole team at NYS Music wishes Phil Lesh the best of luck with future testing and a speedy recovery from cancer following his recent surgery.

Comments are closed.