Bob Weir was a symbol of the Grateful Dead's unrivaled endurance

"Having formed the Dead with frontman Jerry Garcia in 1965 - the two met when Weir heard someone plucking a banjo in a music store in Palo Alto - Weir played with the band for 30 years until Garcia's death in 1995. Then he spent 30 more keeping the Dead's legend alive with a succession of projects including the Other Ones, Furthur and Dead & Company built around the group's rangy yet instantly identifiable blend of rock, country, folk and blues."

"Once regarded as the band's kid brother - not to mention its youthful heartthrob - Weir became a whiskery symbol of the Dead's unrivaled endurance. Musically, he supplied slippery rhythm-guitar riffs for Garcia to solo against; he sang lead occasionally, too, as in "Sugar Magnolia" and "Truckin',", to name two of the hookier numbers from a catalog nobody ever measured in radio hits. Weir's playing was nimble and intuitive, his voice a sly croon that got appealingly craggy with age."

"At one point, I asked the three what they did between gigs. Hart said he was on a plane home to California every Saturday night: "I leave here at 11:30, and by 2 o'clock it's lights out." Mayer echoed his bandmate, describing his attempt to "go back to my life" in Los Angeles on Mondays."

Bob Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died at 78 after a cancer diagnosis. He co-founded the band with Jerry Garcia in 1965 and played with the original group for 30 years until Garcia's death in 1995. He then led successive projects including the Other Ones, Furthur and Dead & Company, preserving the band's blend of rock, country, folk and blues. Weir provided slippery rhythm-guitar riffs and occasional lead vocals on songs like "Sugar Magnolia" and "Truckin'." His playing was nimble and intuitive and his voice grew appealingly craggy with age. He became an enduring symbol of the band's longevity and often stayed locally between shows during long residencies.

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