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Bill Kreutzmann and Dead & Company Lead Tributes to Bob Weir at 78

Bandmates' messages underscore a singular guitar voice that shaped improvisational rock for six decades.

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Musicians Bill Kreutzmann, left, and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead participate in the Madison Square Garden 2015 Walk of Fame Induction ceremony on Monday, May 11, 2015, in New York. Kreutzmann, the drummer who helped form the Grateful Dead as a teenager in the mid-1960s and is now the band’s sole surviving founding member, offered a personal remembrance of Weir on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
Bob Weir, from left, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead pose at Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well portrait session on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in San Rafael. Kreutzmann, the drummer who helped form the Grateful Dead as a teenager in the mid-1960s and is now the band’s sole surviving founding member, offered a personal remembrance of Weir on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

Overview

  • Weir died Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at age 78 from cancer-related and underlying lung complications, his family said.
  • Dead & Company issued a collective statement Monday honoring him with the message, “Our beloved Bobby is enjoying the rewards for a life well lived.”
  • Bassist Oteil Burbridge praised Weir’s relentless devotion to live performance and generosity toward younger musicians, writing that he “packed at least 146 years” into his life.
  • John Mayer, Mickey Hart, Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti posted personal remembrances, with Hart calling Weir his “little brother” and Mayer vowing to “meet you in the music.”
  • Founding drummer Bill Kreutzmann shared a detailed Jan. 14 tribute recalling early pranks, lifelong musical kinship and Weir’s unmatched rhythm guitar style, while broader coverage highlighted his Bay Area roots, Dead & Company residencies and unresolved questions about the band’s future.