Grateful Dead founding guitarist and singer Bob Weir dead at 78

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By ( Classic Rock, Louder, Prog ) published

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead has died from underlying lung issues months after cancer battle

Honoree Bob Weir of Grateful Dead accepts the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year award onstage during the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year Honouring the Grateful Dead on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy.)

Grateful Dead co-founding member Bob Weir has died at the age of 78.

His passing was confirmed this evening (Saturday, January 10) in a statement on his official Instagram page.

Weir was diagnosed with cancer in 2025 but recovered, only to succumb to "underlying lung issues".

The statement announcing his death reads: "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.

"For over 60 years, Bobby took to the road. A guitarist, vocalist, storyteller, and founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music. 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 born in San Francisco, California, in 1947, and at the age of 16 he met Jerry Garcia at a music store in Palo Alto. After spending the night playing music together, they formed the band that would become the Grateful Dead and Weir's guitar and vocal work was a core part of their sound.

He was present for the various reformations of the band through the years, and in 2025 he completed a residency at Sphere in Las Vegas with Dead & Company, and curated the Dead Ahead Festival in Mexico.

The official statement adds: "Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. Diagnosed in July, he began treatment only weeks before returning to his hometown stage for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at Golden Gate Park.

"There is no final curtain here, not really. Only the sense of someone setting off again. 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."

Weir is survived by his wife Natascha and their daughters Monet and Chloe, who "offer their gratitude for the outpouring of love, support, and remembrance."

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022. 

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