Anything Else Forum

Anything Else Forum

Offtopicland. Remember: no politics, religion, or hot-button social issues.

Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) birthday - TIMH

+6 HS
John Cooper's lucky pig's picture
October 16, 2015 at 9:06am
129 Comments

Bob Weir was born 68 years ago today in San Francisco. Weir began playing guitar at age thirteen and the roots of the Grateful Dead were planted when met Jerry Garcia at age sixteen. He lived in the epicenter of the Summer of Love, was involved in some of the most iconic moments of the 1960s and still continues to tour today.

Weir was born to young parents that gave him up for adoption as a baby. Though he was raised in a good home, Weir struggled in school largely due to an undiagnosed learning disability. He was intelligent but acted up and was eventually sent away to a school for wayward boys. There he met future writing partner John Barlow. Weir would eventually leave school to play full-time, but not before his mother made Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh promise that Bobby would finish high school.

Weir literally grew up in and with the Grateful Dead. He and the band lived a few blocks from Haight-Ashbury, ground zero for hippie culture in the 60s. They were the house band for the infamous Electric Kool Aid Acid Tests and Weir was pals with guys like Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady. While often overshadowed by Jerry Garcia, Weir was as integral to the Grateful Dead sound as any member of the band. Weir’s playing style is unique among rhythm guitarists though I can’t really speak to the technical aspects as I don’t understand it. What I do know is that no one sounds like Bob Weir and that is quite rare in rock and roll music.

Weir also sang lead on some of the most iconic Grateful Dead songs, including “Sugar Magnolia”, “Playing in the Band” and “Cassidy”. Since the breakup of the Grateful Dead in 1995, Weir has remained active. He has most often played with his own band RatDog but has also teamed up with former Grateful Dead members in the bands The Other Ones, The Dead and Furthur. He had an outstanding tour with former Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson in 2012 and is currently performing with The Dead & Company. http://www.deadandcompany.com/

If you haven’t seen the Netflix documentary on Weir I highly recommend it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3692768/

In a recent interview Weir mentioned he wanted the song “Cassidy” played at his funeral. Here is Bobby performing that song on his birthday in 1981: 

Weir with RatDog and Chris Robinson:

 

This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Eleven Warriors unless otherwise noted.

View 129 Comments