In New York, the Empire State Building shone a psychedelic tie-dye on Saturday night, and across the country in his hometown of San Francisco, fans gathered in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, as the music industry began paying tributes online to Bob Weir after news of his death was announced by his family.
The Grateful Dead co-founder “transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues,” his family shared on social media. Weir was diagnosed in July but returned to his hometown stage the next month for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Weir and Jerry Garcia formed the rock band in 1965 with Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (keyboards, harmonica), Lesh (bass), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums).
“Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music. 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,” Weir’s family continued in their statement. “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.”
Late on Saturday night, Bob Dylan posted a simple black-and-white image of him playing on stage with The Grateful Dead in 1987, flanked by Weir on one side and Garcia on the other, to his X account.
On Instagram, Primus’ Les Claypool posted an image of him and Weir sharing a stage and described him as one of the kindest men in the business.
“We lost a champion today. Bob Weir, one of the nicest humans I’ve ever met in the music world. A legend on many levels,” Claypool wrote.
Sean Ono Lennon also posted a photo with Weir where the two are jamming together. “It was a great pleasure and a privilege to know you, brother,” he wrote.
Bravo network boss Andy Cohen, a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, penned a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, where he wrote that “Bob Weir wasn’t The Other One, he was That Guy.”
“He was impossibly beautiful and wildly fiery, intense and passionate. Nobody forgets their first Dead show, and mine was in 1986 in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin. Bob was just a speck on the stage from where I was, but man, was his voice fierce and smooth… it felt like rays of sunshine were coming out of his mouth,” Cohen continued. “I feel SO BLESSED to have gotten to know Bob and the equally wondrous Weir family through my friendship with John. He came on WWHL a few times, and when he talked about Jerry’s passing, he referred to it as ‘checkin’ out’. [sic] That felt so graceful a way to put it, and a testament to the fluidity of all us in this world. Bob checked out, but his music is going to live gloriously forever, and so will he. One of the absolute coolest and best to ever do it.”
In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Dessner, of the National, with whom Weir collaborated during his career, said, “I’ll never forget getting to play Grateful Dead songs with Bobby. When he would scratch off tempos on his guitar to start songs, and we would all instantly recognize this sound, countless bootlegs we listened to growing up — it was the thrill of a lifetime and reminded me why I started playing music in the first place.”
“Bobby was always so generous with his time and wisdom, telling long and fascinating stories and sharing his fearless musicality and curiosity with all who would listen,” Dessner continued. “It was only with Bobby’s support that we were able to make Day of the Dead, a six-hour tribute to the Grateful Dead that benefitted AIDS charities. The time I got to spend around him felt like a portal into the mystical world of all the wondrous music he made throughout his life of constant, joyful adventure and exploration.”
Fellow musician Slash shared a photo of Weir on-stage on Instagram, captioning the post, “RIP #BobWeir,” with a broken heart emoji.
Read more tributes in honor of Weir below.
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