Grateful Lifeless founding member Bob Weir died earlier this month at age 78, and his public memorial befell final night time (January 17) at San Francisco’s Civic Heart Plaza. Among the many many musicians and former bandmates to seem was John Mayer, who performed with Weir in his post-Grateful Lifeless mission Lifeless & Firm. Along with giving an extended, considerate speech honoring the late musician, Mayer additionally carried out a solo cowl of the Grateful Lifeless’s 1970 music “Ripple.” Watch a replay of that second under.
Though Mayer shared an announcement instantly following Weir’s dying, his eulogy at yesterday’s memorial service was for much longer, starting with an anecdote about Mayer and Weir being born on the identical day. “Within the 30 years that preceded me, Bob had change into a countercultural icon,” stated Mayer. “I used to be a baby of the Eighties. I come from a world of structural considering, the idea, the theorizing, the reassessing, the perfecting. Bob discovered early on that spirit, coronary heart, soul, curiosity, and fearlessness was the trail to glory. We each discovered success with every of our templates, after which we discovered one another… We have been unlikely companions, and that was a part of our magic.”
He continued: “Over the course of a decade, we got here to belief one another. He taught me, amongst many different issues, to belief within the second, and I’d prefer to assume I taught him a bit of bit to depend on a plan, not as an alternative to the divine moments, however as a option to lure them in a bit of nearer. I suppose possibly what I used to be actually doing was displaying him he might depend on me. Bob took an opportunity on me. He staked his whole status on my becoming a member of a band with him. He gave me musical group. He gave me this group.” Hear his full speech within the video down under.
Weir performed rhythm guitar and dealt with lead vocals for the Grateful Lifeless’s 30-year run. He additionally performed in a number of bands, together with Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Youngsters, RatDog, and Furthur. Dozens of artists have paid tribute to the late icon, together with Bob Dylan, Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby, Nancy Wilson, Billy Corgan, and plenty of others.
Learn the Afterword essay “Bob Weir’s Cosmic Contact.”
