Bob Weir obituary

"Though perhaps not as instantly recognisable as the band's guru-like lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, who has died from cancer aged 78, was an indispensable pillar of the Grateful Dead as guitarist, singer and songwriter. Weir, Garcia and their bandmates first came together in San Francisco in 1965, and would become integral players in the psychedelia boom and the city's summer of love in 1967, fuelled by the mind-expanding drug LSD."

"As a songwriter, Weir contributed to many of the group's key songs, not least Truckin' (a kind of potted autobiography of the Dead), Sugar Magnolia, The Other One, Cassidy, One More Saturday Night and Playing in the Band. The last three of those first appeared on his first solo album, Ace (1972), but soon became Grateful Dead staples. He recorded two additional solo albums,"

Bob Weir was a founding member of the Grateful Dead, serving as guitarist, singer and songwriter. The band formed in San Francisco in 1965 and became central to the 1967 psychedelia boom and the city's summer of love, influenced by LSD. The group blended rock, blues, country and folk to create extended collective improvisations and encouraged fans to record live shows, creating devoted Deadhead followings. Weir co-wrote many key songs and released solo albums including Ace (1972), Heaven Help the Fool (1978) and Blue Mountain (2016). He also played in several other bands and was the subject of a documentary.

Read at www.theguardian.com