A passionate fan of the Grateful Dead who started taking photos of the band as a hobby but ended up as part of their inner circle on Friday remembered bassist Phil Lesh and the impact the musician had on his life. The bassist for one of the most influential bands to ever emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area passed away earlier Friday at the age of 84 . Bob Minkin first saw Lesh and the Dead when he was just a teenager, growing up in New York City.
"Started photographing concerts basically to have a souvenir for my scrapbook. But then as time went on my photos got better, I started getting published," said Minkin. Minkin's photographs lead him to a career every Deadhead dreams of: working directly with the band, capturing Phil and his bandmates both on stage and behind the scenes.
"Here's a shot of him at his home in Ross. His dog Stella, Stella Blue," said Minkin as he looked back at old photographs. He was so dedicated to following and photographing the band, he moved out to Marin County just to be closer to them.
"It's not a unique story. A lot of people moved out here because of them. And a lot of people are from New York too.
It's funny," said Minkin. What is unique to Bob though is the time and access he was able to get with the band. He photographed Phil and the other bandmates for over 40 years.
"You know this wasn't just like a job or something like that, this was, you know I was a fan. Think of your favorite band you've loved since you were a kid and now you're in .
