Bob Weir, the guitarist who co-founded the Grateful Dead, has died aged 78. Weir, a cornerstone of the California psychedelic rock group and many of its offshoots, passed away after a battle with cancer and lung issues, according to a post on his Instagram.
There is no final curtain here, not really. Only the sense of someone setting off again, the post says, noting his hopes that his legacy and lengthy catalogue will live on. The post indicates he transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
He often spoke of a three-hundred-year legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him, the post continues. May that dream live on through future generations of Dead Heads.
With a career spanning more than 60 years, Weir's big break was in 1965 with the founding of the Grateful Dead. Within a few years, they became a force within San Francisco's characteristic counterculture. Quickly their style began shaping rock music - blending psychedelia and 1960s drug culture with musical tones that fused folk and Americana. They are considered one of the pioneers of jam bands.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2007. The band officially halted in 1995 with the death of fellow co-founder Jerry Garcia.
Weir continued his music journey through various spin-offs, including Dead & Company, which performed at residencies in Las Vegas in 2024 and 2025. Weir was diagnosed with cancer in July and continued to perform even while being treated. Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts, the post states.
While it’s noted that he beat cancer before his death, the details of his diagnosis remain unclear. His family, including wife Natascha and children Shala and Chloe, asked for privacy but expressed their appreciation for the outpouring of love and remembrance.
Tributes to Weir began to flood in late Saturday from fellow musicians and fans, including a tribute lighting of the Empire State Building in tie-dye colors in his memory. Notable musicians such as Slash from Guns N' Roses and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder shared heartfelt messages about Weir's influence and their shared experiences.
Weir's former publicist reflected on his unique sense of humor and his unwavering dedication to music, which he believed was his purpose in life until the very end.
There is no final curtain here, not really. Only the sense of someone setting off again, the post says, noting his hopes that his legacy and lengthy catalogue will live on. The post indicates he transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
He often spoke of a three-hundred-year legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him, the post continues. May that dream live on through future generations of Dead Heads.
With a career spanning more than 60 years, Weir's big break was in 1965 with the founding of the Grateful Dead. Within a few years, they became a force within San Francisco's characteristic counterculture. Quickly their style began shaping rock music - blending psychedelia and 1960s drug culture with musical tones that fused folk and Americana. They are considered one of the pioneers of jam bands.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2007. The band officially halted in 1995 with the death of fellow co-founder Jerry Garcia.
Weir continued his music journey through various spin-offs, including Dead & Company, which performed at residencies in Las Vegas in 2024 and 2025. Weir was diagnosed with cancer in July and continued to perform even while being treated. Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts, the post states.
While it’s noted that he beat cancer before his death, the details of his diagnosis remain unclear. His family, including wife Natascha and children Shala and Chloe, asked for privacy but expressed their appreciation for the outpouring of love and remembrance.
Tributes to Weir began to flood in late Saturday from fellow musicians and fans, including a tribute lighting of the Empire State Building in tie-dye colors in his memory. Notable musicians such as Slash from Guns N' Roses and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder shared heartfelt messages about Weir's influence and their shared experiences.
Weir's former publicist reflected on his unique sense of humor and his unwavering dedication to music, which he believed was his purpose in life until the very end.
