Paul McCartney has honoured the late Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir following his death earlier this month.
On January 10th, it was confirmed by Weir’s family that he had died aged 78 due to underlying lung issues. He had also been diagnosed with cancer in 2025, but managed to overcome and beat the disease.
His family said of Weir: “His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul, building a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans carry with them. Every chord he played, every word he sang was an integral part of the stories he wove. There was an invitation: to feel, to question, to wander, and to belong.”
Now, McCartney has taken to social media to honour Weir, who joined him as a special guest at his concert at Boston’s Fenway Park in 2016.
Alongside a picture from the aforementioned show, McCartney wrote, “Bob Weir was a great musician who inspired many people of many generations.”
His message continued, “I last saw Bob when we went to the Sphere in Las Vegas to watch Dead and Co. He was very welcoming and during the interval in the show he invited us into his trailer, and it was a special moment to meet his family and friends.”
McCartney also detailed that they almost collaborated, sharing, “Bob showed me the recording set up that he had in the back of the bus so even though he was on tour he could make and record music; I offered to play the bass on one of the tracks he played me but unfortunately that never came to pass.”
On a personal level, McCartney said of Weir as a human, “His humour, friendship and musicianship inspired me and will inspire many people into the future. Our family’s thoughts go out to Bob’s family at this time of loss, and I know they will remain as strong as he would wish them to be.”
McCartney’s poignant statement concluded, “God bless you Bob. See you down the road. Love Paul.”
This weekend, Weir’s hometown, San Francisco, is set to honour Weir’s legacy with an event open to the public on January 17th. Fans are urged to gather at 12:45pm local time at the Civic Center Plaza and come together to remember Weir.
The event describes itself as “a free public gathering honoring Bobby, whose music, spirit, and humanity shaped generations”. It also says of its aim, “Together, we will pay tribute in the community and collective heartbeat that he created.”