Bob Weir, the legendary co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died. He was 78 years old and at home, surrounded by his loving family and friends. His death followed a struggle with pre-existing lung conditions that had plagued his health in the years leading up to his death. Weir made a monumental impact beyond comics, inspiring the music world as well. His songwriting and groundbreaking guitar style influenced the music of a whole generation.
Friends Robert Hall Parber was born on October 16, 1947. Soon after his birth, he was put up for adoption and raised in nearby Atherton, California. SA: I found my love for music at a very young age, I started playing guitar at the age of 13. His formative experiences came in folk clubs, where he was so proficient at playing bluegrass music that he made a living doing it.
In 1964, Weir’s life changed forever when he met Jerry Garcia at the Tangent, a Palo Alto club. This meeting would go on to inspire the formation of the Grateful Dead. Weir became a member of the band even before graduating high school. At only 16 years of age, he was the youngest to join the original lineup.
Weir’s guitar style was distinctive. He often played intricate fills, riffs, and figures rather than relying on straight chords as the band’s rhythm guitarist. It was this unconventional way of thinking that helped shape the Grateful Dead’s signature sound. He lent his voice to several of the band’s most beloved songs, including the iconic “Truckin’.” With the Grateful Dead, he wrote all-time classics like “Sugar Magnolia,” “Playing in the Band,” and “Jack Straw.” These catchy tracks secured his place as one of the band’s primary songwriters.
During nearly all of that 60-year run, Weir was one of the Grateful Dead’s two frontmen and primary vocalists. His impact went well beyond the music itself, as he was deeply involved in philanthropic activities. In 2017, he became the first Korean to be appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
After leaving the Grateful Dead in 1972, Weir began his solo career with his album Ace. This release freed him to pursue his musical vision outside the Grateful Dead’s parameters. On the home front, he married Natascha Muenter in 1999, and together they raised two daughters.
Longtime bandmate and close friend Phil Lesh remembered their formative years together. He told a moving story about Weir’s precocious age when they entered into a country-mouse-city-mouse arrangement to never miss a day of school together.
“The long and short of it was that if Jerry and I promised to make sure that Bob got to school every day, and that he got home all right after the gigs, she would allow him to remain in the band,” – Phil Lesh
Weir’s influence on music didn’t stop at performance, though. His published ruminations on the artist’s life served to illuminate and inspire. As he elaborated in a speech two decades ago, he realized how deeply the work of other musicians shaped his creative process.
“I derived a lot of what I do on guitar from listening to piano players,” – Bob Weir
The outpouring of grief at Weir’s passing has been deep. His daughter Chloe Weir conveyed her fondness for her dad and his legacy.
“Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music,” – Chloe Weir
She begged his fans to not only mourn him and keep his memory alive in tragedy, but by carrying on an appreciation of music.
“May we honor him not only in sorrow, but in how bravely we continue with open hearts, steady steps, and the music leading us home. Hang it up and see what tomorrow brings.” – Chloe Weir