Grateful Dead guitarist and founding member Bob Weir has died at the age of 78, the news confirmed in a statement on his official Instagram account.
The post revealed that Weir passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, after battling cancer and ultimately succumbing to underlying lung issues.
‘It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues,’ the message read.
‘Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music,’ the statement added. ‘His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul, building a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans carry with them.
‘Every chord he played, every word he sang was an integral part of the stories he wove. There was an invitation: to feel, to question, to wander, and to belong.’
Weir had been diagnosed with cancer last summer, shortly before headlining a series of shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Grateful Dead guitarist and founding member Bob Weir has died at the age of 78, the news confirmed in a statement on his official Instagram account
The post revealed that Weir passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, after battling cancer and ultimately succumbing to underlying lung issues; (Weir in 1970)
Weir had been diagnosed with cancer last summer, shortly before headlining a series of shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco; (The Grateful Dead pose on the corner of 20th and Connecticut in Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, circa 1965. Left to right: Phil Lesh, Jerry Garcia (1942 – 1995), Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan (1946 – 1973), Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann)
His musical journey began at just 16, when he wandered into a Palo Alto music store following the sound of a banjo and met Jerry Garcia, who was strumming inside.
The pair played together all night, sparking the formation of The Grateful Dead alongside Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan, Phil Lesh, and Bill Kreutzmann – the band’s five founding members.
Weir was born Robert Hall Weir in San Francisco on October 16, 1947, and was adopted as an infant.
He grew up in the Bay Area, struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia and behavioral challenges, per reports.
While attending a school for boys with behavioral difficulties in Colorado, he met John Perry Barlow, who would become his frequent lyricist.
He started playing guitar at 13 and performed at local folk clubs.
In 1965, he met Garcia in a Palo Alto music store after hearing him play banjo. The two formed Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, which later became the Warlocks and eventually the Grateful Dead.
Weir briefly left the band in 1968 but returned to continue contributing to its mix of country-rock and improvisational music.
‘It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues,’ the message read; (L-R: Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh)
His musical journey began at just 16, when he wandered into a Palo Alto music store following the sound of a banjo and met Jerry Garcia, who was strumming inside; (Phil Lesh (L) and Bob Weir in 1993)
After the death of fellow founding member Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan in 1972, Weir assumed a larger role as a vocalist and songwriter.
He released solo albums including Ace and Heaven Help the Fool and performed with several side projects, including Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, RatDog, Furthur, and The Other Ones.
He also took on leadership roles within the band, helping guide its direction after Garcia’s health and addiction challenges.
In later years, Weir continued to perform, preserving the Grateful Dead’s music through multiple touring projects and collaborations with former band members.
Reflecting on the band’s 50th anniversary in 2015, he told Rolling Stone, ‘If there are issues we have to get past, I think that we owe it to ourselves to man up and get past them.’
The statement announcing his death highlighted his long-term vision for the band’s legacy: ‘There is no final curtain here, not really… He often spoke of a 300-year legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him.
‘May that dream live on through future generations of Dead Heads.’
This is a developing story…
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