John Mayer is remembering his longtime collaborator and friend Bob Weir with a deeply personal message that’s resonating across the music world. Following news of the Grateful Dead co-founder’s death, the guitarist shared an emotional tribute honoring Weir’s influence, their years together in Dead & Company, and the bond they formed both on and off the stage.
The Grateful Dead founding member died at the age of 78 from “underlying lung issues” after being diagnosed with cancer in July 2025, per the announcement on his official Instagram account. Following the news of his death, Mayer went to his Instagram account to share how own tribute.
‘I’ll Meet You In the Music’
John Mayer helped form Dead & Company in 2015, which was a band consisting of former Grateful Dead members Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, along with Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti. The band was created to carry on the band’s legacy, with Mayer and Weir swapping song leads.
With Weir’s passing, Mayer shared a touching tribute to his former bandmate on his Instagram. Mayer wrote, “Okay Bob. I’ll do it your way. Fkn’ A…”
He went on to say, “Thanks for letting me ride alongside you. It sure was a pleasure. If you say it’s not the end, then I’ll believe you. I’ll meet you in the music. Come find me anytime.” Mayer signed it JohnBo, Weir’s nickname for him.
Other Dead & Company Bandmembers Pay Tribute to Weir
Besides Mayer, other members of Dead & Company went on social media to share their own tributes to Weir. Mickey Hart, who joined the Grateful Dead in 1967 as its drummer and helped form Dead & Company, shared photos from the band’s early days.
Hart wrote, “Bob Weir was a little brother to me for almost sixty years. He was my first friend in the Grateful Dead. We lived together, played together, and made music together that ended up changing the world…What was a lifetime of adventure boils down to something simple – we were family and true to the music through it all.”
Dead & Company bassist Oteil Burbridge shared his tribute on Instagram, thanking Weir for the last 10 years together on the road.
Burbridge wrote, “I can’t think of anyone that needed to play live music any more than Bob. It went past devotion, past dedication, past obsession. It seemed to me more like self identification. I think he felt it is what and who he was. I also cannot think of anyone who played more live shows. We could depend on it like the sun coming up.”
He added, “Thank you Bob for pulling me into your orbit. There are no words that could ever encompass the last ten years we shared together. I’m so blessed to have been a part of it all. And thank you for being so generous with your time and sharing yourself with so many of us younger musicians.”
With one final note, Burbridge wrote, “Lastly, a friend of mine noted that it was sad that Bob died at just 78 years old. I told him I thought Bob packed at least 146 years into it.”
