Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, dies at 78

Veteran rock guitarist Bob Weir, 78, died Friday, Jan 6 2026 after a battle with cancer linked to underlying lung issues. Co‑founder of the legendary Grateful Dead, Weir wrote key songs such as "Truckin", "Sugar Magnolia", "Playing in the Band" and "Jack Straw". He joined Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and Bill Kreutzmann in 1964 when he was 16, and helped launch the band’s debut album in March 1967. Diagnosed with cancer in July 2025, he spent his final days surrounded by family. Weir had been a United Nations Development Programme goodwill ambassador in 2017 and married Natascha Muenter in 1999, with whom he had two daughters.