Bob Weir, Bay Area legend, founding member and rhythm guitarist for the Grateful Dead, died on January 10, at 78 years old from underlying lung issues.
The Grateful Dead was founded in 1965 in San Francisco and became famous for their live performances, long improvisational jams and a melodic blend of rock, folk and country. As figureheads of the 1960s hippie counterculture movement, loyal fans became known as “Deadheads.” You can find them worldwide, often dressed in their iconic tie-dye getup, but especially in Haight-Ashbury, where the band often performed and where their house still stands today.
Bob Weir was born Robert Hall Parber on October 16, 1947, and was raised by his adoptive family in Atherton, California. On New Years’ Eve in 1963, the 16-year-old heard banjo music coming from Dana Morgan’s Music Store in Palo Alto. It was being played by Jerry Garcia, who would later become the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for the Dead.
The two jammed together for hours that night and soon formed a jug band, which eventually evolved into the beloved Grateful Dead.
Weir co-wrote and performed many of the Dead’s classics. He’s known for writing “Sugar Magnolia”, his psychedelic jams in “Playing in the Band” and singing the tongue-twisting verses of “Truckin’”.
As well as a musician, Weir was a lifelong environmental activist, speaking out on climate change, deforestation and rainforest destruction.
Weir is survived by his wife, Natascha, and his daughters, Monet and Chloe, as well as the two remaining original members of the Dead, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.
“What I like best about music is when it makes time go away,” Weir said. His timeless music brought people together, and will continue to inspire and unite generations for years to come.
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