Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir: tributes pour in after his death at age 78

Grateful Dead guitarist and founding member Bob Weir has died at 78, his official Instagram account confirmed on Saturday.

The post revealed that Weir passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, after battling cancer and ultimately succumbing to underlying lung issues.

Soon after tributes started popping up.

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder shared a picture of himself and Weir on Instagram and wrote: ‘Just heard of the passing of @bobweir. I first saw Bob at Woodstock with the Grateful Dead and was blown away by that whole band, and the musicianship. I feel so blessed to have been able to have him sing on Rock You from American Rock and Roll. Until we meet again, amigo. #FreeAtLast #GratefulDead #BobWeir.’

And musician Michael Franti – who was a close friend and performed with Weir many times – posted a lengthy tribute on his own Instagram page.

He wrote: ‘I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Weir. He inspired me in so many ways as a musician, an activist, an athlete and mostly a friend.

‘We shared the stage many times and he was always eager, wildly curious, and ready to try anything. The first time we played together was at a Peace Concert my team put on after the events of 9 11. We were joined by Flea on bass and Woody Harrelson on vocals. Bobby looked like a kid in a candy store playing with such a wonderfully odd crew. I could not believe that a true giant in music made time to stand in a park with a few hundred people and help us send a musical message of peace.

‘We stayed in touch over the years and played again with also a dear friend Sammy Hagar while supporting a solar energy bill in California, which passed by the way. He sat in with my band several other times and they invited me to join them too. Each moment felt like MAGIC.’

He also shared how Bob supported him after his child was diagnosed with kidney disease.

He said: ‘At one of those times he moved me deeply with the concern he showed for me and my family at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley. Just that day we have received the news that my middle child had just been diagnosed with a kidney disease that later required a transplant. I was distraught. Bobby came backstage before the set, talked with me, and sat with me as I cried. I will never ever forget that.

‘In recent years I loved watching his fitness reels and his dedication to becoming his strongest self. He was hilarious, caring, wildly creative, and a true genius all at once.

‘I am blessed for the time we shared and for all the beauty he brought into this world.

‘Growing up in the Bay Area, Bobby was such an icon and ever present figure. It’s hard to think of him not being there. Rest in love Bobby. I will miss you.’

Weir’s death was announced via a message on his Instagram page and a number of celebrities took to the comments of the post to share tributes.

Andy Cohen commented: ‘Bobby will live through the music and the people who love it around the world forever. What a gift he is for us all. We love you Weir family.’

Aaron Dessner wrote: ‘So deeply grateful for all the music and to have known him and crossed paths musically….truly one of a kind.’

Maggie Rogers wrote: ‘forever and ever,’ while Margo Price said: ‘I was just thinking of you last night Bobby. Love you forever.’

Bob is survived by his wife, Natascha, and their two daughters, Shala Monet and Chloe Kaelia.

‘It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues,’ the message read.

‘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 had been diagnosed with cancer last summer, shortly before headlining a series of shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

His musical journey began at just 16, when he wandered into a Palo Alto music store following the sound of a banjo and met Jerry Garcia, who was strumming inside, per reports.

The pair played together all night, sparking the formation of The Grateful Dead alongside Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan, Phil Lesh, and Bill Kreutzmann –  the band’s five founding members.

Weir was born Robert Hall Weir in San Francisco on October 16, 1947, and was adopted as an infant. 

He grew up in the Bay Area, struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia and behavioral challenges, per reports.

He started playing guitar at 13 and performed at local folk clubs. 

In 1965, he met Garcia in the Palo Alto music store and the two formed Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, which later became the Warlocks and eventually the Grateful Dead. 

Weir briefly left the band in 1968 but returned to continue contributing to its mix of country-rock and improvisational music.

After the death of fellow founding member Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan in 1972, Weir assumed a larger role as a vocalist and songwriter. 

He released solo albums including Ace and Heaven Help the Fool and performed with several side projects, including Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, RatDog, Furthur, and The Other Ones. 

He also took on leadership roles within the band, helping guide its direction after Garcia’s health and addiction challenges. 

Weir pressed on after the sudden loss of Garcia, who died of a heart attack in 1995 at age 53, continuing to tour and record.

He fronted RatDog, a long-running project that mixed Grateful Dead staples with original material, and later stepped into singing Garcia’s songs with various post-Dead lineups, including the Other Ones, the Dead, and Furthur. 

In 2013, Weir collapsed during a Furthur show, and the following year RatDog dates were scrapped as he later acknowledged struggling with an addiction to prescription painkillers. 

He eventually returned to the spotlight, reuniting with fellow survivors Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann for the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary Fare Thee Well concerts in 2015. 

That celebration led to the formation of Dead & Company, with John Mayer joining Weir, Hart, Kreutzmann and longtime Dead collaborators. 

The group carried the band’s catalog into a new era, wrapping a decade-long run with a 2023 ‘Final Tour’ and multiple residencies at Las Vegas’ Sphere. 

In December 2024, following the death of bassist Phil Lesh two months earlier, Weir and the remaining members were honored at the Kennedy Center. 

His final appearances came in August, when Dead & Company headlined three shows at Golden Gate Park marking the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary.  

He leaves behind his wife of more than two decades Natascha Weir, and their daughters, Monet and Chloe. 

With Weir’s passing – following the deaths of Garcia and Lesh — only Mickey Hart, 82, and Bill Kreutzmann, 79, remain from the Grateful Dead’s original lineup. 

The statement announcing his death highlighted his long-term vision for the band’s legacy: ‘There is no final curtain here, not really… He often spoke of a 300-year legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him. 

‘May that dream live on through future generations of Dead Heads.’