Grateful Dead photographer Bob Minkin remembers bassist Phil Lesh

A passionate Grateful Dead fan who started taking photos of the band as a hobby but became part of their inner circle on Friday remembered bassist Phil Lesh and the influence the musician had on his life.

The bassist for one of the most influential bands to ever emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area died on Friday at the age of 84.

Bob Minkin first saw Lesh and the Dead when he was a teenager growing up in New York City.

“Basically, I started photographing concerts as a souvenir for my scrapbook. But as time went on, my photos got better and I started publishing them,” Minkin said.

Minkin's photos lead him to a career every Deadhead dreams of: working directly with the band and capturing Phil and his bandmates both on stage and behind the scenes.

“Here’s a photo of him at his home in Ross. His dog Stella, Stella Blue,” Minkin said as he looked back at old photos.

He was so intent on following and photographing the band that he moved to Marin County just to be closer to them.

“It’s not a unique story. A lot of people moved here because of them. And a lot of people come from New York too. It’s funny,” Minkin said.

What makes Bob unique, however, is the time and access he was able to gain with the band. He photographed Phil and the other bandmates for over 40 years.

“You know that wasn't just a job or anything, that was, you know, I was a fan. Think about your favorite band that you've loved since you were a kid and now you're in their living room and you're like, whether you want a coffee or something. So you know it was like a fantasy come true,” Minkin said.

So when Minkin learned of the bassist's death, it took a moment for it to really sink in.

“I got a text message. I was having lunch with my daughter in San Rafael and I looked at my phone and thought, “I just hung up. We had just gotten to the restaurant and I didn't want to.” “We couldn't say anything until we were done eating,” Minkin said.

Minkin was grateful for the many people who reached out to him and expressed their condolences. He said that alone shows how much Lesh meant to so many and the legacy he leaves behind.

It's a legacy that Minkin says, thankfully, will live on forever.

“I like to think of it like a composer. Like Beethoven, for example. You know, he's been gone for hundreds of years, but you can still hear his music in symphonies all over the world. I imagine this is like the Grateful Dead. Their music has become bigger than the original band members themselves,” Minkin said.