Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Founding Member, Dies at 78

Weir was a defining voice of American rock and the counterculture — a beloved musician whose six-decade career helped shape the sound of a generation.

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros performing in 2019. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

Preview:

Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir has died aged 78.
He was an influential musician and remembered as a warm, loving man.
He had been diagnosed with cancer last year.

Bob Weir, the guitarist, singer and co-founder of the iconic rock band the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family confirmed in a heartfelt statement on social media.

Best known for his pioneering rhythm guitar, songwriting, and restless touring spirit with the Grateful Dead and its many offshoots, Weir’s influence on rock, folk, blues, and jam band culture spanned more than 60 years.

The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir

Not Yet RatedDocumentary Music

Audience
Score

Release Date: Apr 20, 2014

Run Time: 1 hr 25 min

Starring: Bob Weir

Musicians, fans, and collaborators around the world are celebrating the life and legacy of a true musical force.

Bob Weir: Early Life and Career

Bob Weir in 1977's 'The Grateful Dead Movie'. Photo: Grateful Dead.

Born Robert Hall Parber on October 16, 1947, in San Francisco and raised in nearby Atherton, Weir’s musical journey began in adolescence. He picked up guitar at age 13 and, as a teenager, met Jerry Garcia — a chance encounter that would change the course of rock history.

In 1965, at just 17 years old, Weir co-founded the band that became the Grateful Dead, originally known as the Warlocks. His inventive “counter-lead” style of rhythm guitar became one of the group’s defining sounds and helped propel the band’s endless touring and genre-blending explorations.

Bob Weir: A Life in Music

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros performing in 2018. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

For more than three decades with the Grateful Dead, Weir contributed vocals and wrote or co-wrote many beloved songs, including “Sugar Magnolia,” “One More Saturday Night,” “Mexicali Blues,” and others that became staples of the band’s live shows and the wider rock canon.

After the death of Garcia in 1995, Weir remained a central figure in the continuing legacy of the Dead, performing with groups such as The Other Ones, The Dead, RatDog, Furthur and — most recently — Dead & Company, which introduced the music to new generations.

Across a career that saw him bridge musical worlds — from psychedelia and blues to Americana and jazz-inflected improvisation — Weir embodied a restless creativity and deep connection with audiences.

Bob Weir: Offstage

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros performing in 2018. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

Though Bob Weir was a public figure whose life was lived on stages around the world, those close to him remember his warmth, wit, and generous spirit.

His family noted his passing in a statement on social media:

“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.”

Weir’s approach to music was intertwined with his view of community — whether through the Dead’s devoted fanbase known as Deadheads or through his longtime support of social and political engagement.

He is survived by his wife, Natascha Muenter, and their daughters, Shala Monet and Chloe Kaelia.

Bob Weir: Legacy

(L to R) John Mayer, Bob Weir and Dead & Company performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas in 2024. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

Bob Weir’s legacy will endure in the rich tapestry of music he helped weave and the countless lives he touched with his art. From sunlit outdoor festivals to intimate club stages, his playing and spirit forged a bridge between musical traditions and generations of fans.

He will be remembered not only for the songs he helped create, but for the sense of kinship and joy he sparked in audiences around the globe — a guiding force in American music whose echo will long outlast his final chord.