The Donor Rap Continues: Grahame Lesh Honors Father by Continuing the Concert Push for Organ Donation

Photo Credit: Austin Grinnell

On Saturday, November 30, Midnight North returned to the storied Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. During the occasion, the seasoned group of musicians stepped out, performing a number from the Grateful Dead songbook, “Cumberland Blues,” which established a sentimental tone that carried over into the second-generation musician’s own continuation of his father, Phil Lesh’s iconic Donor Rap. 

The late bassist’s charitable monologue ties back to his own 1998 liver transplant, which resulted from a battle with hepatitis C. At the time of the life-saving surgery, Phil was 58 years old; in turn, the surgery resulted in another 25 years of memorable performances, featuring the acknowledgment “I am only alive today,” followed by regard to Cody, who donated the organ. From his own Terrapin Crossroads to stadium-sized stages from coast to coast, Phil’s message has inspired fans to sign up to become organ donors. 

Like his dad, Grahame continued his family’s mission by telling Phil’s story, noting, “I got an extra 25 years with my dad because someone told someone they love they wanted to donate their organs.” 

Before accounting for added time resulting from Cody’s ultimate gift, Grahame began: “This has been quite a tough month or so, and a tough year for Midnight North, for all of us, and definitely for me, and I know for all of us too because my dad passed away about a month ago. And I know you all loved him too, and I love you all for that.”

The mention of a rough year also accounted for Midnight North’s own Elliot Peck’s health struggle and retreat from live performances. Read more. 

“I’ve done a couple of shows back East a few weeks ago—Nathan and I,” Grahame continued, mentioning shows with the Midnight North backbeat during a series of Northeastern Grahame Lesh & Friends concerts. “And I’ve been doing a thing my dad used to do, which is to ask all of you to become organ donors. He used to say, ‘It’s the simplest thing in the world. You can turn to someone that you love and that loves you and tell them if anything ever happens to me I want to be an organ donor.’”

Watch below. Sign up and become an organ donor now, and use this as an opportunity to share Phil’s story and continue the Lesh family’s mission.