(Gray News) – Bob Weir, the singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died. He was 78.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir,” the Weir family said in a statement on social media.
The announcement said he died after a “courageous” battle with cancer and an underlying lung issue.
Bob Weir onstage during the Pollstar Awards on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)(Richard Shotwell | Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
“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 was just 16 years old when he became friends with Jerry Garcia on New Year’s Eve 1963.
The two guitarists formed an old-time music unit, Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, and went electric with the rock band the Warlocks before finally taking the name the Grateful Dead in 1965.
Weir also recorded three solo albums; the first, 1972’s “Ace,” found him supported by most of the band. As time went on, he was increasingly involved in such band side projects as Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnites and RatDog.
Weir is survived by his wife, Natascha, and their two daughters.
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