Bobby Weir dead at 78: Grateful Dead co-founder shaped generations of American rock

Bobby Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead and one of the defining figures of psychedelic rock and the jam-band movement, died Jan. 10, his family announced. He was 78.

News of Weir’s death was shared in a statement posted to his Facebook page by his daughter, Chloe Weir, and later on the musician’s website. She said he died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after battling cancer and later succumbing to lung complications.

“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,” the post reads. “Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”

For more than six decades, Weir stood at the heart of one of America’s most influential bands, helping shape not only the Grateful Dead’s distinctive sound but also the modern concert industry itself. The group’s improvisational performances, relentless touring and fiercely loyal fan base — the Deadheads — transformed live music into a cultural movement.

Formed in Palo Alto in 1965, the Grateful Dead featured Weir alongside Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. Together, they fused rock, folk, blues, country, jazz and R&B into a free-flowing, distinctly American style that resisted radio formulas but thrived on the road.

Though mainstream success largely eluded the band for much of its career, a late-era breakthrough came in 1987 with “Touch of Grey,” which introduced the Dead to a new generation. By then, the band had already built one of the most devoted followings in music, fueled almost entirely by its live shows.

Weir, known for his rhythm guitar work and expressive vocals, embraced that life. He remained a tireless performer long after the band’s commercial peak, continuing to tour and experiment with new projects for decades.

After Garcia’s death in 1995, the Grateful Dead formally ended its run, but its music did not. Weir and his bandmates carried the songbook forward through a series of offshoots, including The Dead, Furthur and, most recently, Dead & Company, which paired Weir and drummer Mickey Hart with pop-rock guitarist John Mayer.

Dead & Company became a stadium-level act in its own right, passing the music on to hundreds of thousands of new fans. The group’s final performances took place last summer in Golden Gate Park during a three-night celebration marking the Dead’s 60th anniversary — fittingly in the Bay Area, where the band’s long, strange trip began.

Weir was still performing at a high level during those shows.

“Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life,” his daughter’s statement said. “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. Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts.”

Born Oct. 16, 1947, in San Francisco, Weir spent most of his life in the Bay Area, where his influence on the region’s music culture remains profound. More than a guitarist or frontman, he was a collaborator, a road warrior and a bridge between generations of listeners.

“There is no final curtain here, not really,” his daughter wrote. “Only the sense of someone setting off again…. 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.”

Weir is survived by his wife, Natascha, and daughters Monet and Chloe. His family requested privacy and expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support.