As founding guitarist of quintessential jam band the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir had a front row seat to music history—a history that he and his bandmates helped to shape. Known for their legendary live performances and often surreal lyrics, Weir kept the Grateful Dead alive even after lead guitarist Jerry Garcia’s untimely death in 1995. With Weir’s Jan. 10 passing at age 78, music’s biggest names are paying tribute to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. On Thursday (Jan. 15), Sir Paul McCartney added his name to the mix, reminiscing about the last time he spoke with Bob Weir.
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“A Great Musician”: Paul McCartney Remembers Bob Weir
Paul McCartney began his Facebook tribute by calling Bob Weir “a great musician who inspired many people of many generations.” He recalled seeing the iconic guitarist at the Sphere in Las Vegas—where Dead & Company, a Grateful Dead “cover band” of sorts helmed by Weir, performed their Dead Forever: Live at Sphere residency last spring.
“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,” the former Beatle wrote.
Next, Weir showed him the the makeshift recording studio he had set up in case inspiration ever struck him on the road. “I offered to play the bass on one of the tracks he played me but unfortunately that never came to pass,” wrote the ex-Wings frontman.
McCartney continued, “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. God bless you Bob. See you down the road. Love Paul.”
The 19-time Grammy Award winner also shared several pictures, including one of himself and Weir during the latter’s surprise appearance at McCartney’s 2016 show at Fenway Park in Boston.
How the Beatles Inspired Weir and His Bandmates
Paul McCartney’s tribute to Bob Weir carries extra weight when you consider that we may never have had the Grateful Dead if the Fab Four hadn’t carved out a path before them.
“The Beatles were why we turned from a jug band into a rock ‘n’ roll band”, Weir said in the 1999 biography Garcia: An American Life. “What we saw them doing was impossibly attractive. I couldn’t think of anything else more worth doing.”
Featured image courtesy of Paul McCartney/Facebook
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