Well here I am again, writing yet another tribute to one of my fallen musical heroes. Bobby Weir, the guy who stood between Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh for 30 years while their band created musical alchemy, the likes of which the world had never known before the inception of The Grateful Dead or after they played their last note, has gone over to the other side.

We all know that one day we’ll die. We have a finite time here on Earth. If you’re wise you’ll live like every day will be your last, squeezing every drop out of this sweet thing that we call life. The older I get, the more I feel my mortality. The passing of both my parents over the past two years has driven that point home with an exclamation point! And so it goes for musicians and artists whom I admire and have been inspired by. When one of them passes it truly feels like a little piece myself has died too. This is when I experience the most profound sense of my mortality.

I cannot overstate the importance of the Grateful Dead in my life. So many of my deepest and longest lasting friendships have had their genesis in the psychedelic swirl of the Dead scene. Without the Grateful Dead I never would have met my wife Carol and have the sweet life that I have today. The Dead inspired me to think outside the box, freak freely and to live life with joy in my heart. Simply stated some of the happiest moments of my life have been spent in the context of the Dead scene and Bob Weir was at the epicenter of it all.

Bobby physically stood at the center of the band’s onstage configuration but was overshadowed by the musical twin towers of Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh. Being stuck between two of the most innovative musicians that the rock world has ever known forced Bobby to innovate himself. The rhythm guitarist has traditionally been a kind of second banana in a rock and roll band, but even a cursory listen to some of Weir’s best playing will belie that fact. Many Deadheads, myself included, consider the years 1972-74 as the band’s Golden Era where their improvisational skills were at their peak. Along with drummer extraordinaire Billy Kreutzman and underrated pianist Keith Godchaux the Grateful Dead soared to heretofore unexplored corners of interstellar space. Listen to shows from this era with fresh ears and key in on Bobby. He used unusual chord voicings, cross-picking and a quirky sense of rhythm to forge an unorthodox and totally original style of playing, a kind of lead/rhythm hybrid. You want to have your mind blown? Check out any Playing In The Band jam from 1972 and you’ll hear what I’m talking about. The way Bobby’s guitar weaves seamlessly between Jerry and Phil is extraordinary. The saying goes that necessity is the mother of invention, this adage is so true concerning Bob Weir’s place in the Grateful Dead. Bobby had to find a way to fit in between Jerry and Phil and boy did he ever!

In addition to his unique guitar style, Bobby was also an expressive singer and a solid songwriter. Along with lyricists Robert Hunter and childhood pal John Barlow, he penned many of the Dead’s most iconic songs. Sugar Magnolia, Jack Straw, Weather Report Site, Cassidy and Playing In The Band are all vital touchstones in the Dead’s canon.

After the untimely death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, Bobby went on to front various post-Dead configurations (The Other Ones, Further, Dead and Co.) as well as his own solo projects. He was instrumental in keeping the Dead’s music alive and in the forefront of the public consciousness. Weir is almost singlehandedly responsible for turning a whole new generation onto the music of the  Grateful Dead and god knows in these insane times we’re living in, we can all use a healthy dose of the Dead. 

I last saw Bobby perform  five years ago at The Sweetwater, an intimate nightclub in the tiny town of Mill Valley, CA, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I wasn’t much for post-Dead stuff so it had been a while since I’d last seen Bobby live. I remember feeling a bit skeptical before the show, thinking that this was just going to be a rehashing of the same old Grateful Dead catalogue. My skepticism dissolved after the first few notes of “Jack Straw”, one of Bob’s signature tunes. His approach to this and all the other songs in his 2 1/2 hour set was completely new, Bobby managed to breathe fresh life into songs that I’d heard hundreds of times before. The arrangements, Bob’s guitar playing and his vocals shone with renewed vigor. I left the Sweetwater kind of “born again”, and looking forward to his next show. Of course I had no way of knowing that this would be the last time I saw Bob Weir alive. Doesn’t it always seem to go that way with the ones you love.

For the most part the guys in the Grateful Dead just stood up there and played, stone cold professionals doing their job and doing it well. But Bobby? He added some much needed rock star flash to the proceedings. He was quite the showman and clearly relished the attention from the crowd. A pretty boy whom the girls (and surely some guys) all swooned over, Bobby took a lot of flak, most of it good natured, from us Deadheads. Of course we all loved him dearly, even during his short-shorts and pink  Izod polo shirt phase.

So it is with a heavy heart that I say farewell Bobby. Thank you for all the joy that you brought into my life. I feel truly blessed to have spent so much time in your presence. Rest easy beautiful soul.