Los Angeles [US], January 11 : Celebrated singer-guitarist and co-founder of 'The Grateful Dead', Bob Weir, has passed away at 78.
As confirmed by his family in a social media post, Bob Weir died after a long battle with cancer and lung issues. "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," they wrote.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Bobby Weir (@bobweir)
In a long statement, his family reflected on his journey that started six decades ago and added, "For over sixty 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 diagnosed in July last year, when he began treatment before returning to his hometown stage for the celebration of 60 years of music.
"Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts. Another act of resilience. An artist choosing, even then, to keep going by his own design. As we remember Bobby, it's hard not to feel the echo of the way he lived. A man driftin' and dreamin', never worrying if the road would lead him home. A child of countless trees. A child of boundless seas," the family added.
As the family requested privacy during the difficult time, emotional tributes and condolences have flooded social media platforms.
'Bravo' host Andy Cohen, in an Instagram post, offered a heartfelt homage and wrote, "Bob Weir wasn't The Other One, he was That Guy. He was impossibly beautiful and wildly fiery, intense and passionate."
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Andy Cohen (@bravoandy)
Fellow artists, including former Eagles guitarist Don Felder, producer and bassist Don Was, Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson, and Primus frontman Les Claypool, among others, also led their tributes on social media.
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