Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart remembers Bob Weir: “A little brother to me”
Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart has paid tribute to his late bandmate Bob Weir, who he’s described as “his little brother”.
Weir, who co-founded Grateful Dead in 1965, died on January 10th, aged 78. Following his death, tributes have poured in from the likes of Bob Dylan to John Mayer, who both played alongside Weir during their careers.
In a statement, his family revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer just weeks before Dead and Company played three huge shows in San Fransico last summer.
Revealing his cause of death, the Weir family said, “He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”
Hart played alongside Weir in not only Grateful Dead, but also later spin-off groups, including Dead and Company, who performed their final shows at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco last summer.
“Bob Weir was a little brother to me for almost sixty years,” Hart, who was four years older than Weir, began his statement by writing.
He added, “He was my first friend in the Grateful Dead. We lived together, played together, and made music together that ended up changing the world.”
Hart then turned his attention to Weir’s musical ability, writing, “Bob had the ability to play unique chords that few others could. Long fingers, that’s the difference. Jerry once told me that the harmonics Bob created became an inspiration for his own solos. When all of us were entrained, rhythm section, guitars, and voices… it was transcendent.”
The drummer lovingly continued, “What was a lifetime of adventure boils down to something simple — we were family and true to the music through it all.”
Hart’s tribute featured a gallery of pictures that depicted him and Weir together over the years. The drummer noted of the collection of images, “These photos show the bookends of our lives together. Still cannot believe he’s gone. I miss you so much already, dear friend.”
Weir is survived by his wife, Natascha Münter, and their two children, Monet and Chloe. Upon announcing the musician’s death, they asked for “privacy during this difficult time and offer their gratitude for the outpouring of love, support, and remembrance.”
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