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.
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.
Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. 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.
There is no final curtain here, not really. 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.
Photo by Thekingdekalb, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
