Guitarist and co-founder of the iconic American band the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir, has passed away at the age of 78. NBC News reported the news on January 11, citing a statement published on the musician's official website. The message clearly states that last summer Weir was diagnosed with cancer and that he tried to overcome it. However, the cause of death was complications related to lung problems.
Remarkably, the musician passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Weir performed thousands of concerts and performed with nearly a dozen bands. Despite the fact that he remained in the shadow of band leader Jerry Garcia for a long time, over time Weir became one of the key figures in the jam band genre that grew out of the Grateful Dead's work. The musician was born in 1947 in San Francisco and has been passionate about folk music since he was a child. A fateful meeting with Garcia at a music store in Palo Alto on New Year's Eve 1963 was fateful for him.
It was from this acquaintance that the history of the group began, which later became not only a collective, but also part of the counterculture movement. The Grateful Dead was born in the San Francisco psychedelic scene and the musicians became an integral part of hippie culture. The band toured extensively and allowed fans to record concerts, which helped build a loyal audience despite moderate album sales. Weir and Garcia eventually became the faces of the group.
They shared vocals, and Weir's rhythm guitar provided the foundation for Garcia's improvisations. Weir's most famous songs include Jack Straw, Sugar Magnolia and Playing in the Band. Weir repeatedly noted that the band did not rely on studio recordings but on live performances. He emphasized that concerts were a key factor in the group's success.
