Article Icon 1Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Icon, Dies at 78
Bob Weir, founding member and rhythm guitarist of the Grateful Dead, whose six-decade career helped define the jam band genre, died Saturday after a battle with cancer that led to complications from underlying lung issues.
Diagnosed in July, Weir began treatment just weeks before Dead & Company's 60th anniversary concerts at Golden Gate Park last summer, which would be his final performances.
The 78-year-old co-wrote Grateful Dead classics like Sugar Magnolia, Truckin', and Mexicali Blues, and helped build a cultural phenomenon through relentless touring and a policy that allowed fans to record and trade shows, which organically grew the band's devoted Deadhead following across generations. See Weir's life in photos here.