What a story
By Andrew Harris
Brought into the world unwanted, a baby boy is adopted into a loving upper middle-class life. This dyslexic young man struggles with classic education but thrives in sports and adventure. He hears jazz music and falls in love with the color, texture, and emotion created with sound. After meeting other local musicians at the local music store, they form a band and play the school dances and coffee shops. The band becomes wildly popular, creating an entire sub-culture which thrives world-wide. The young man and his band play until they are old men having success beyond imagination. Even after they are dead, they continue to improve the lives of others, and for that, everyone is eternally grateful.
Bob Weir lived a fascinating life, an impactful life, and performed his music to live audiences upwards to 5,000 times since age 16. Most of that music was played with the band he co-founded, The Grateful Dead, with his San Francisco pals. The band changed the world by indefinitely extending the cultural revolution of the late 1960’s. When “peace, love, and understanding,” ran its course in popular culture, Bob and his band never stopped spreading the message.
At the time of his death, the message was being received by more people than ever. Between the power of the musical catalog, and the efforts by Weir to make sure the music never stopped, he performed for huge audiences during his final decade. At those concerts with his new band, “Dead and Company,” it was common to see grandparents of the Woodstock generation with their children, and grandchildren together. Besides bridging generations, the final chapter in his musical story attracted his widest audiences, Americana embodied. The “hippies” still followed him wherever he went, but so did politicians, professional athletes, movie stars, and lots of fellow musicians across many genre. Bob Weir was adored by fellow musicians from all generations and musical traditions.
When the news broke on January 10 that Weir had passed away, hundreds of millions across the world started to reflect and consider the loss. Thirty years after his musical partner Jerry Garcia died, Bob left this existence, as his family put it, Bob “transitioned peacefully.”
That word, ‘transitioned,’ is perfect. If Bob was defined by anything, it was constant transition and evolution, embracing the uncertainty of life. His music certainly provided lessons, guideposts, and themes but his persona was also instructive. Bob was an all-original, hyper-intellectual rock star with a love of cowboy culture, enviromentalism, and extreme mountain biking. He was half hippy – half jock, silly jokester – sappy romantic, political activist – counterculture icon, both an artist and a satirist.
Weir is survived by his wife Natascha, daughters Chloe and Monet.
Wellsville NY “Deadhead” Maggie Finn, quoted a famous Grateful Dead song, “Cassidy,” that Weir co-authored with his best pal and lyricist John Perry Barlow with her goodbye:
Fare-thee-well now
Let your life proceed by its own design
Nothing to tell now
Let the words be yours I’m done with mine
Official obituary Robert Bob Weir Grateful Dead
