Grateful Dead co-founder singer and guitarist has died at the age of 78. “It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Bobby Weir,” the family said in a statement. statement. “After overcoming cancer with the courage that only Bobby could, he made a peaceful transition surrounded by his loved ones. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung conditions.”
“Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life,” they continued. “Diagnosed in July, he began treatment just a few weeks ago and returned to his hometown stage for three days of musical 60th anniversary performances in Golden Gate Park. Emotional, soulful, and light-filled, that performance was not a farewell, but a gift. It was an act of resilience. When we remember Bobby, we can’t help but feel the echoes of his way of life: a man who drifts and dreams without a care in the world. Read the full statement below.
Born Robert Hall Perver in San Francisco on October 16, 1947, Weir began playing the piano and trumpet before picking up the guitar at age 13. He met Jerry Garcia on New Year’s Eve 1962 at Dana Morgan’s Music Store in Palo Alto. They formed a jug band called the Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, which morphed into the Warlocks and eventually the Grateful Dead.
In addition to playing rhythm guitar, Weird shared lead vocal duties with Garcia throughout the Grateful Dead’s 30-year tenure. After Garcia’s death in 1995, Bob Weir joined offshoot groups such as The Other Ones, The Dead, Father, and Dead & Company, a version of the group featuring John Mayer. Just weeks after his diagnosis, Weir reunited with Dead & Company for a final three-night show at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park celebrating the band’s 60th anniversary.
Weir releases his first solo album. ace1972. His last feature was in 2016 blue mountainwhich featured contributions from members of National The Dead, Weir was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 with the rest of the Dead, and was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor in 2024.
Strange family statement:
It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Bobby Weir. After overcoming cancer with the courage that only Bobby could, he peacefully transitioned into life surrounded by his loved ones. Unfortunately, he passed away due to underlying lung problems.
For more than 60 years, Bobby has been on the road. Guitarist, vocalist, storyteller, and founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby’s unique artistry will forever remain a guiding force in reshaping American music. His work did more than just fill a room with music. It was a warm sunshine that filled the soul and built a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans will carry with them. Every chord he played, every word he sung, was an integral part of the story he weaved. There was an invitation to feel, to question, to wander, to belong.
Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. Diagnosed in July, he began treatment just weeks before returning to his hometown stage for the 60-year music festival at Golden Gate Park. Emotional, soulful and full of light, those performances were a gift, not a farewell. Another act of recovery. Even so, the artist chose to continue moving forward with his own designs. When we remember Bobby, we can’t help but feel the echoes of his life. The man drifted, dreaming, never worrying whether this path would lead to home. Countless tree children. A child of the endless sea.
There’s no final act here, not really. Just the feeling of someone starting again. He often spoke of his 300-year legacy and was determined to ensure that the songbook would remain long after him. May that dream live on for future generations of Deadheads. So we send him off as a blessing, not an end, just as he sent many of us off. A reward for a life worth living.
His loving family, Natasha, Monet and Chloe, request privacy at this difficult time and would like to thank you for the outpouring of love, support and condolences. May we be praised not only for our sadness, but also for keeping our hearts open, our steady steps, and our courageous steps until the music brings us home. Let’s hang up and see what tomorrow holds.
Source: Our Culture – ourculturemag.com
