Reading time: 3 minutes
We have tragic news to report from the music world today.
Rock legend Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, has died.
He was 78 years old.
News of Weir’s death comes courtesy of a social media post from his family, who revealed that he had been battling cancer and “lung issues” for the past year.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir.” the statement read.
“He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, after bravely beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”
The family went on to reveal that Weir continued doing what he loved until his final days.
“Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. Diagnosed in July, he began treatment just weeks before returning to the stages of his hometown for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music in Golden Gate Park,” the statement continued.
“Those performances, emotional, moving and full of light, were not goodbyes, but gifts. Another act of resilience. An artist who chose, even then, to move forward according to his own design.
“Remembering Bobby, it’s hard not to feel the echo of the way he lived. A man drifting and dreaming, never worrying whether the road would take him home. A child of countless trees. A child of limitless seas.”
Born in San Francisco in 1947, Weir became friends with his future bandmate Jerry Garcia after they met in a Palo Alto instrument store on New Year’s Eve 1963.
Together, the two would form one of the most influential bands in music history, essentially founding the genre of psychedelic rock.
The Dead continued to tour for decades, even after Garcia’s death in 1995.
While the lineup changed frequently (and included many Dead fans-turned-collaborators, such as John Mayer), Weir remained a staple.
In addition to his work with the Dead, Weir founded several other groups, including the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, RatDog, and Furthur, which he co-led with former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who passed away in 2024.
News of Weir’s passing instantly made him trend on social media, as millions of fans rushed to pay tribute.
Our thoughts are with Bob Weir’s loved ones during this difficult time.
