Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir dies

Bob Weir, guitarist, vocalist and one of the founders of the cult American rock band Grateful Dead, has died. The musician was 78 years old. His death was announced by his family in an official post on the musician’s Instagram page.

According to statements from loved ones, Weir was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2025. The musician underwent treatment and beat cancer, but died from lung problems. The family reported:

“He passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, having courageously defeated cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung problems.”

Despite the diagnosis, Weir continued to perform until the end. In August 2025, just weeks after starting treatment, he took the stage at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for a three-day festival celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. The concerts attracted about 180 thousand spectators and were the last performances of the musician.

Bob Weir joined the group in 1965 when he was 17 years old. Over a six-decade career, he wrote or co-wrote many of the group's hits. Following the death of Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia in 1995, Weir became the chief custodian of the band's legacy, performing with The Other Ones, RatDog, Furthur and Dead & Company. In December 2024, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors as a member of the Grateful Dead. Following Weir's death, drummer Bill Kreutzmann remains the only living member of the band's original lineup.