Guitarist Bob Weir, one of the founding members of rock legends Grateful Dead, recently passed away at the age of 78. The saddening announcement was made through the musician’s official social media channels. The news was also confirmed by Rolling Stone and other major music publications.
Sammy Hagar said, “Bob and I were born just two days apart. A couple decades ago we made a deal we were going to live to be 100, then get together and decide if we were gonna take it any further. One of the last things I said to Bob was “Hey, I thought we had a deal.” His lack of response made me realize I was on my own on this one because Bob was already way past 100. He was 100 when I met him. Always the elder, the wise old soul. He had a pocket full of sayings that he used to simplify a conversation.
Am I gonna miss Bob? #YouBet
Did I love Bob like a brother? #Yup
Was bob a wonderful friend to have? #FuckinA
Did Bob and I have some good fun together? #MoreFunThanAFroginAGlassOfMilk
My love, heart and prayers, go out to the family and friends for the loss of this wonderful soul.
godspeed
@bobweir #bobweir.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted on X, “Rest in Peace Bob Weir. Thank you for all the years of support in the environment wars and thank you for your friendship.
“Fare-thee-well now
Let your life proceed by its own design
Nothing to tell now
Let the words be yours, I’m done with mine”.”
Weir shared guitar duties with Jerry Garcia and was one of the band’s constant members from 1965 to 1995, along with Garcia, bassist Phil Lesh, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann. He was also a member of Dead & Company, a Grateful Dead spinoff band that’s been active since 2015. He’s also remembered for his unique instruments that he used over the years.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir,” the announcement on his social media profiles reads.
“He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”
Reflecting on over six decades of his work, the statement pointed out his creative and writing abilities, adding that he “will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music.”
“Every chord he played, every word he sang was an integral part of the stories he wove,” the statement reads. “There was an invitation: to feel, to question, to wander, and to belong.”
“Bobby 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.”
Bob Weir Cause of Death
More details about his fight with cancer were revealed, explaining that, despite the hardships, his “final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life.”
It continued:
“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. 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 message continues on a more optimistic note, addressing Bob’s and the Grateful Dead’s legacy.
“There is no final curtain here,” the post read.
“Only the sense of someone setting off again. He often spoke of a three-hundred-year legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him. May that dream live on through future generations of Dead Heads. And so we send him off the way he sent so many of us on our way: with a farewell that isn’t an ending, but a blessing. A reward for a life worth livin’.”
“His loving family, Natascha, Monet, and Chloe, request privacy during this difficult time and offer their gratitude for the outpouring of love, support, and remembrance. 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.”
Rest in Peace Bob Weir. Thank you for all the years of support in the environment wars and thank you for your friendship.
“Fare-thee-well now
Let your life proceed by its own design
Nothing to tell now
Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine” pic.twitter.com/MqD0w9BWGj— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) January 11, 2026
