Saturday (Jan. 10) was a sad day for not only Grateful Dead fans, but also free spirits, misfits, and wanderers. Guitarist Bob Weir, who co-founded the seminal jam band, died at age 78, succumbing to underlying lung issues following a bout with cancer. As the music industry grapples with the void left behind by Weir, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar remembered his unlikely friendship with the rhythm guitarist.
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Hagar, who turned 78 on Oct. 13, is just three days older than Weir, and was born in Salinas, California—roughly 100 miles southeast of Weir’s hometown, San Francisco. After their paths crossed in the music industry, both men vowed they would live to see their 100th birthdays. At that point, they would collectively decide “if we were gonna take it any further,” Hagar wrote in a Sunday (Jan. 11) update to his official website.
“One of the last things I said to Bob was ‘Hey, I thought we had a deal,’” wrote the “I Can’t Drive 55” rocker.
Bob and I were born just two days apart. A couple decades ago we made a deal we were going to live to be 100, then get together and decide if we were gonna take it any further. One of the last things I said to Bob was “Hey, I thought we had a deal.” His lack of response made me… pic.twitter.com/cZShDZrieP
— Sammy Hagar (@sammyhagar) January 11, 2026
“His lack of response made me realize I was on my own on this one because Bob was already way past 100,” Hagar continued. “He was 100 when I met him. Always the elder, the wise old soul. He had a pocket full of sayings that he used to simplify a conversation.”
Watch Sammy Hagar Team up With Bob Weir at the Ryman
In March 2022, Bob Weir joined Sammy Hagar onstage at the Ryman Auditorium during the latter’s Nashville stop along his Crazy Times tour with his supergroup, the Circle.
“I used to always make fun of the Dead. I’d say, ‘Ah, ain’t no f—ing good,” Hagar said as he welcomed Weir to the stage. “I was full of s—.”
[RELATED: “The Last and Best Reward”: Why the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir Looks Forward To Dying]
Weir stuck around to perform two songs: the Dead’s definitive Buddy Holly cover “Not Fade Away” and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”
Concluding his tribute, Hagar wrote, “Am I gonna miss Bob? #YouBet
Did I love Bob like a brother? #Yup
Was bob a wonderful friend to have? #F—inA
Did Bob and I have some good fun together? #MoreFunThanAFroginAGlassOfMilk”
Featured image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
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