Phil Lesh, bassist and founder of Grateful Dead, dies at 84

(FILES) Phil Lesh of The Dead performs at the Izod Center on April 28, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Founding member of the Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, died October 24 at the age of 84. — PhotoCory Schwartz / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

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, which drew dedicated "Dead Head" fans known for traveling from concert to concert.