Tributes pour in for Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir

January 11, 2026 1

Honoree Bob Weir of Grateful Dead accepts the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year award onstage during the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year Honoring The Grateful Dead on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Following the announcement that Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir had passed away at age 78, a tribute to the rocker was shared on the Grateful Dead social media accounts, written by Dead archivist Dave Lemieux.

The post noted that the band was “defined by each of the unique musicians and voices these guys brought to the stage,” adding, “And Bobby was as unique as they come.”

“A guitar player unlike any other, and a songwriter who created some of the most interesting, exciting, and oddly-timed songs in rock history, Bobby was also the unabashed rock star in the Grateful Dead,” the post continued, noting his “list of contributions to the Grateful Dead repertoire is way too long to list.”

“For 60 years, Bobby has been a huge part of the soundtrack to our lives,” the post concluded. “His kindness, generosity, and musical contributions have made our world a better place.”

Several artists also took to social media to remember Weir, including Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes, who posted a long tribute on Instagram.

“Bob was an enigma— a beautiful enigma,” he wrote, noting Weir was “genuinely a beautiful human being and I am honored to have known him as a friend and to have played together the many, many times that we did.” He added, “I will cherish those memories and the world of music will keep his spirit alive.”

Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who joined Weir and Dead & Company on stage during their August shows at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, also shared a long tribute to Weir, writing, “I really loved him. He was a sweet, kind, gentle friend, and I never believed this would happen so soon.”

He added, “Thank you for all the gifts you brought into the world, and for all the love you gave to so many of us. Your spirit lives on forever.”

Others paying tribute to Weir include Sammy Hagar, John Fogerty, former Eagles guitarist Don Felder, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Sean Ono Lennon, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Bruce Hornsby and Steve Stevens.