Bob Weir | |
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 Bob Weir performing in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Hall Parber |
| Born | (1947-10-16)October 16, 1947 (age 77) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1963–present |
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| Formerly of | |
| Website | bobweir |
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Robert Hall Weir (/wɪər/WEER;[1] néParber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of theGrateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995,[2] Weir performed withthe Other Ones, later known asthe Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead. Weir also founded and played in several other bands during and after his career with the Grateful Dead, includingKingfish, the Bob Weir Band,Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Children,RatDog, andFurthur, which he co-led with former Grateful Dead bassistPhil Lesh.[3] In 2015, Weir, along with former Grateful Dead membersMickey Hart andBill Kreutzmann, joined withGrammy-winning singer/guitaristJohn Mayer, bassistOteil Burbridge, and keyboardistJeff Chimenti to form the bandDead & Company.[4]
During his career with the Grateful Dead, Weir played mostlyrhythm guitar and sang many of the band'srock & roll andcountry & western songs. In 1994, he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead.
Weir was born inSan Francisco, California, to John (Jack) Parber (1925–2015), ofItalian andGerman ancestry, and a fellow college student, Phyllis Inskeep (1924–1997), ofGerman,Irish, andEnglish ancestry, who later gave him up for adoption;[5] he was raised by his adoptive parents, Frederic Utter Weir and Eleanor (née Cramer) Weir, inAtherton.[6] He began playingguitar at age thirteen after less successful experimentation with thepiano and thetrumpet. He had trouble in school because of undiagnoseddyslexia and he was expelled from nearly every school he attended, includingMenlo School in Atherton[7] andFountain Valley School in Colorado, where he met future Grateful Dead lyricistJohn Perry Barlow.[8]
On New Year's Eve 1963, 16-year-old Weir and an underage friend were wandering the back alleys ofPalo Alto, looking for a club that would admit them, when they heard banjo music. They followed the music to its source, Dana Morgan's Music Store. They encountered a 21-year-oldJerry Garcia, oblivious to the date, waiting for his students to arrive. Weir and Garcia spent the night playing music together and then decided to form a band.The Beatles significantly influenced their musical direction. "The Beatles were why we turned from ajug band into a rock 'n' roll band," said Bob Weir. "What we saw them doing was impossibly attractive. I couldn't think of anything else more worth doing."[9] Originally called Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, the band was later renamed The Warlocks and eventually theGrateful Dead.
Weir playedrhythm guitar and sang a large portion of thelead vocals through all of the Dead's 30-year career. In the fall of 1968, the Dead played some concerts without Weir andRon "Pigpen" McKernan. These shows, with the band billed as "Mickey and the Hartbeats", were intermixed with full-lineup Grateful Dead concerts. In his biography of Jerry Garcia, Blair Jackson notes, "Garcia and Lesh determined that Weir and Pigpen were not pulling their weight musically in the band... Most of the band fights at this time were about Bobby's guitar playing."[10] Late in the year, the band relented and took Weir and Pigpen back in full-time.[11][12]
The incident apparently led to a period of significant growth in Weir's guitar playing. Phil Lesh said that when drummer Mickey Hart left the band temporarily in early 1971, he was able to hear Weir's playing more clearly than ever and "I found myself astonished, delighted and excited beyond measure at what Bobby was doing." Lesh described Weir's playing as "quirky, whimsical and goofy" and noted his ability to play chordvoicings on the guitar (with only four fingers) that one would normally hear from a keyboard (with up to ten fingers).[13]
In the late 1970s, Weir began to experiment withslide guitar techniques and perform certain songs during Dead shows using the slide. His unique guitar style is strongly influenced by the hard bop pianistMcCoy Tyner and he has cited artists as diverse asJohn Coltrane, theRev. Gary Davis, andIgor Stravinsky as influences.[7]
Weir's first solo albumAce appeared in 1972, with the Grateful Dead performing as the band on the album, though credited individually. Included in this line-up wereKeith Godchaux and his wifeDonna, both of whom would be in the band by the time of the album's release. A live version of the album's best-known song, "Playing in the Band", had been issued on theSkull & Roses album of the previous year. While continuing to perform as a member of the Grateful Dead, in 1975 and 1976, Weir played in the Bay Area bandKingfish with friendsMatt Kelly andDave Torbert. He later contributed to Kelly's 1987 albumA Wing and a Prayer, on Relix Records. In 1978 he fronted the Bob Weir Band withBrent Mydland, who joined the Grateful Dead the following year. In 1980 he formed another side band,Bobby and the Midnites.
Shortly before Garcia's death in 1995, Weir formed another band, RatDog Revue, later shortened toRatDog. In RatDog, Weir performs covers of songs by various artists, includingThe Beatles,Bob Dylan,Chuck Berry, andWillie Dixon while also performing many Grateful Dead songs. In addition, Ratdog performs many of their own originals, most of which were released on the albumEvening Moods.
Weir has participated in the variousreformations of the Grateful Dead's members, including 1998, 2000, and 2002 stints asthe Other Ones and in 2003, 2004 and 2009 asThe Dead. In 2008 he performed in the twoDeadheads for Obama concerts. In 2009 Bob Weir andPhil Lesh formed a new band calledFurthur—so-named in honor ofKen Kesey's famous psychedelically painted bus.
In 2011, Weir founded theTamalpais Research Institute, also known as TRI Studios. TRI is a high-tech recording studio and virtual music venue, used to stream live concerts over the internet in high-definition.[14]
In 2012, Weir toured with Chris Robinson of theBlack Crowes and singer/songwriterJackie Greene as the Weir, Robinson, & Greene Acoustic Trio.[15]
Weir resuscitated RatDog in March 2013. The RatDog Quartet, featuring Weir,Jay Lane,Robin Sylvester, andJonathan Wilson debuted on March 3, at theSweetwater Music Hall.Jason Crosby was their featured guest at the first two shows.
On April 25, 2013, Weir collapsed onstage during a Furthur performance at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. The band finished the show without him. He performed with the band two days later in Atlantic City, but on April 29 a representative announced that Weir would be "unable to perform in any capacity for the next several weeks" for unspecified reasons.[16] Weir resumed performing that summer.
On April 23, 2014,The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir premiered at theTribeca Film Festival directed byMike Fleiss husband ofMiss America 2012,Laura Kaeppeler.[17]
On August 10, 2014, Weir abruptly canceled all of his upcoming appearances, according to TheHuffington Post, "The cancellations include all shows for the rest of the year with his bandRatdog, as well as a concert withFurthur".[18] According toJambase, Ratdog performed without Weir in Las Vegas in July 2014. "A statement from the venue said Weir was 'under the weather'."[19]
In early July 2015, Weir joined the other original living members of the Grateful Dead —Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Phil Lesh — for three shows at Soldier Field in Chicago. These four surviving members (known as the "Core Four") were joined byJeff Chimenti on keys andPhish'sTrey Anastasio on lead guitar and shared vocals, and Bruce Hornsby on piano. The reunion was 20 years nearly to the day since the band's final concert with Jerry Garcia at the same venue in 1995. "Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead" was billed as the original four members' last performance together. Based on demand, two additional Fare Thee Well concerts were added to the series, performed in late June 2015 at Levi Stadium in California.
On October 5, 2015, Weir performed with Ratdog at a special celebratory 60th Birthday Bash forSteve Kimock. It was the first time Ratdog had performed since the cancellations of his 2014 summer tour.[20]
In late 2015, Weir teamed up with former Grateful Dead bandmates Mickey Hart and Billy Kreutzmann as well as guitaristJohn Mayer, bassistOteil Burbridge and keyboardistJeff Chimenti to formDead & Company. They played 22 shows starting at the end of October, concluding with a four show New Year's run including two shows in San Francisco and two in Los Angeles, ending with a three set show on New Year's Eve. The band concluded its final tour on July 16, 2023, at Oracle Park in San Francisco. On January 31, 2024 the band announced a residency atSphere inLas Vegas, Nevada, to begin in May 2024.[21] While eighteen shows were announced initially, the residency was extended to thirty shows, ending in August 2024.[22]
In May 2016, Weir was a guest speaker and performer for the second annual Einstein Gala, in Toronto, Canada,[23] an event honoring the legacy ofAlbert Einstein and new visionaries in the arts and sciences. Weir spoke about what science and innovation had meant to him.[24] Weir performed a solo acoustic set, and was joined mid-set by guitarist Dan Kanter.[25] In the same month, Weir also confirmed, in an interview withThe Guardian, that he was writing a book.[26]
In 2016, a live recording of Weir performing withThe National was included in theDay of the Dead release. Weir's 2012 collaboration with members of The National as part of The Bridge Session helped pave the way for the Grateful Dead tribute.[27]
In June 2016, at theBonnaroo Arts And Music Festival, Weir received the first everLes Paul Spirit Award, from the Les Paul Foundation.[28] "I cannot think of anyone more fitting to be honored with the first annual Les Paul Spirit Award than Bob Weir. Not only is he an extraordinary talent who has given us an amazing array of legendary music, but he is an innovator who understands music, technologies and the spirit of Les Paul," said Michael Braunstein, executive director of the Les Paul Foundation. "If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Bob would be experimenting together atTRI Studios or at Les's house and the results would be extraordinary."[28]
Weir received the 2016Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 Americana Honors & Awards inNashville.[29]
In September 2016, Weir released a new album of "cowboy songs" titledBlue Mountain. The release was followed bya tour beginning in October 2016.[30] The album was inspired by his time working as a ranch hand in Wyoming when he was fifteen years old.[31]
During the spring of 2018, Weir performed a series of concerts with former Grateful Dead bassistPhil Lesh. The duo, with guest musicians, was billed as Bobby and Phil.[32]
In 2018 Weir formed a band calledWolf Bros. Billed as Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, the group initially was a trio, with Weir on guitar and vocals,Don Was on upright bass, andJay Lane on drums. They toured the US in the fall of 2018,[33] the spring of 2019,[34] and in early 2020.[35][36] In late 2020 and early 2021 the band played several concerts atTRI Studios withJeff Chimenti on keyboards andGreg Leisz on pedal steel guitar. After the first of these shows the band also added a horn and string section called the Wolfpack, comprising Brian Switzer on trumpet, Adam Theis on trombone, Sheldon Brown on saxophone, clarinet, and flute,Mads Tolling on violin, and Alex Kelly on cello.[37] In the summer of 2021 this larger ensemble, now billed as Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, played several concerts in Colorado and California.[38][39]
In 2022, after the pandemic put a temporary stop to touring, Weir and Wolf Bros resumed playing shows, touring the US in the spring with The Wolfpack string section.[40] Included was a May 1, 2022 show withMickey Hart,Zakir Hussain and a revived Planet Drum[41] and a pair of shows atRadio City Music Hall in April marking the 50th anniversary of Weir's albumAce.[42]
The fall 2022 "Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack" tour included four shows at the Kennedy Center in October.[43] The 2023 winter tour[44] included three February concerts with theAtlanta Symphony Orchestra atAtlanta Symphony Hall.[45] In April 2023, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros Trio played four shows at the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park.[46]
As part of the band's fall 2023 run,[47] Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack joinedWillie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival for seven shows in September.[48] The band's tour ended with a residency at theCapitol Theatre in New York.[49] Weir performed at the first Dead Ahead Festival inCancún in January 2024.[50] Weir's other 2024 appearances included a show with theString Cheese Incident, billed as "The Bob Weir Incident,"[51] and a New Year's Eve run inFort Lauderdale.[52] In December he was present as the Grateful Dead were inducted at theKennedy Center Honors.[53]
In January 2025 Weir returned to curate the second Dead Ahead Festival at Riviera Cancún, Mexico, where he also performed along with a lineup that includedSturgill Simpson, Rick Mitarotonda,Oteil Burbridge,Brandi Carlile and others.[54] A two-month spring 2025 residency was booked forDead & Company at the Sphere in Las Vegas.[55] In the meantime, on January 31 Weir,Mickey Hart andGrateful Dead family members acceptedMusiCares Persons of the Year awards for their philanthropic work.[56]
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Weir remained single throughout his years with the Grateful Dead, although he lived for several years (1969–1975) with Frankie Hart. Hart had been ago-go dancer at thePeppermint Lounge in New York, had worked inApple Records American marketing department, for Apple Records in London, and had performed on the TV showsHullabaloo andShindig!. She was allegedly the inspiration for theRobert Hunter-Bob Weir song "Sugar Magnolia".[57][58] Weir made her acquaintance through Mickey Hart, who dated her briefly. He met her following her first Grateful Dead show in New York in 1968. Her real name at that time was Frankie Azzara (from a previous marriage), but used thestage name "Frankie Hart" (after apparently "borrowing" Hart's last name). Although she and Weir never married, she adopted his last name after moving in with him and was subsequently known as Frankie Weir.[7][59][60][61]
On July 15, 1999, Weir married Natascha Münter inMill Valley, California.[62] Together, they have two daughters, Shala Monet Weir[62][63] and Chloe Kaelia Weir.[64] Bob Weir's sister-in law isLeilani Münter, a former race car driver in theARCA Racing Series circuit.[65] Weir is a long termvegetarian and advocate foranimal rights who was influential in the founding ofFarm Sanctuary.[66]
Weir is on the board of directors of theRex Foundation, the Furthur Foundation, andHeadCount.[67] He also is a member of the advisory board of the Jerry Garcia Foundation along with Peter Shapiro and Seth Rogin.[68] He is an honorary member of the board of directors of the environmental organizationRainforest Action Network, along withWoody Harrelson,Bonnie Raitt, andJohn Densmore. He is also on the honorary board of directors of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in under-served public schools throughout the U.S.
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Early pictures of The Warlocks in concert show him playing aGretsch Duo-Jet,[69] and after the Warlocks became the Grateful Dead, Weir briefly played aRickenbacker 365, a Guild Starfire IV semi-hollowbody (with Garcia playing an identical cherry red Starfire IV, which appears very similar to the Gibson ES-335) as well as aFenderTelecaster before settling on a cherry red 1965Gibson ES-335 as his primary guitar for the following decade.[70] Weir can also be seen playing a sunburst ES-335 inThe Grateful Dead Movie, filmed in October 1974. During the early 1970s, Weir also used a Gibson ES-345, a 1961 or 1962Gibson SG and a blackGibson Les Paul of indeterminate age in 1971.
In 1974, Weir began working with Jeff Hasselberger atIbanez to develop a custom instrument.[71] Weir began playing the Ibanez 2681 during the recording ofBlues for Allah; this was a testbed instrument with sliding pickups that Hasselberger used to develop several additional 2681s for use onstage, as well as Weir's custom "Cowboy Fancy" guitar, which he played from 1976 until the mid-1980s.[72] Weir began using aModulus Blackknife at that point, and continued to play the Blackknife, along with a hybrid Modulus/Casio guitar for the "Space" segment of Grateful Dead concerts for the rest of that band's history. Weir's acoustic guitars include severalMartins, aGuild, anOvation, and a line ofAlvarez-Yairi signature models.
With his post-Grateful Dead bands, Weir has played aModulus G3FH custom, a Gibson ES-335, and a 1956 Fender Telecaster previously owned by James Louis Parber, his late half-brother.[73][74]
In August 2016, during a preview of Weir's solo album,Blue Mountain, Weir stated that the only instrument he used during the recording of the album was aMartin acoustic guitar.[75]
From 2017 onwards, Weir has collaborated with New York-basedD'Angelico Guitars to produce several signature model instruments. The Premier, a semi-hollow guitar, was released in 2017, and the Deluxe Bedford, a solid-body, was released in 2020.[76] In 2024 Weir and D'Angelico introduced the Deluxe Bobby Weir 3, a semi-hollow electric guitar.[77]
Grateful Dead and related bands
Solo albums
Bob Weir andRob Wasserman
With other artists
Videos
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