Before Randy Jackson became a household name in 2002 as one of the original judges on “American Idol,”he was a renowned bassist who played alongside some of the biggest rock stars, from Journey to members of the Grateful Dead.
So on January 10, 2026, news of the death of Bob Weir, the Dead’s legendary guitarist and co-founder, hit hard for Jackson, who joined a chorus of friends and fans paying tribute to the music legend.
Randy Jackson Calls Bob Weir His ‘Dear Friend’ in Tribute
On January 11, Jackson posted a tribute to Weir in his Instagram Stories that said, “Rest in power my dear friend Bobby Weir. Thank you for all you gave me, us, the world…truly truly one of the greatest ones ever.”
Jackson included a throwback 1989 photo — the same one featured above — of himself and Weir with the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, drummer Steve Jordan, and singer John Fogerty. The music legends were photographed while performing at the Concert Against AIDS” in Oakland, California, calling themselves “John Fogerty and Friends,” according to Relix.
Now the band leader on FOX’s “Name That Tune,” Jackson fondly recalled playing with Weir in another group of music legends during a 2022 interview with Guitar World.
“That was an amazing, crazy, wild band, with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Carlos Santana, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, and Chester Thompson,” he told the outlet. “That was a wild band that was pretty unbelievably amazing. I didn’t quite realize it at the time. But, you know, maybe some of those inebriants helped me not realize that at the time, haha!”
When Guitar World asked what Jackson’s “stimulant of choice” was back then, he admitted, “Whatever the day felt like. ‘What do we feel like today, what color, what size, where should we go today?’ Wow.”
Famous Friends Are Remembering Bob Weir Amid News of His Passing
Jackson is among a legion of famous friends and devoted fans mourning Weir’s death at 78, due to “underlying lung issues,” per an announcement posted on his social media accounts. Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan simply posted a black and white photo of him performing with Weir and Garcia years ago.
Bravo star Andy Cohen, a longtime Deadhead, wrote in response to the announcement of Weir’s passing, “Bobby will live through the music and the people who love it around the world forever. What a gift he is for us all. We love you Weir family❤️”
Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder posted an Instagram photo of himself with Weir and wrote, “Just heard of the passing of @bobweir. I first saw Bob at Woodstock with the Grateful Dead and was blown away by that whole band, and the musicianship. I feel so blessed to have been able to have him sing on Rock You from American Rock and Roll. Until we meet again, amigo.”
