Bob Weir, Grateful Dead guitarist, dies at 78

Bob Weir, a founding member and guitarist of the Grateful Dead, died at age 78, his verified Instagram account announced. The statement said he died peacefully after a battle with cancer and related lung issues.

Bob Weir, guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, has died at 78, his verified Instagram account announced. The statement said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, after battling cancer and later suffering from underlying lung issues. Weir had been diagnosed last summer and had recently headlined shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. He began his musical career as a teenager and helped form the Grateful Dead in the mid-1960s. Key facts: - The announcement was posted on Weir's verified Instagram account and described his passing as peaceful and occurring in the company of loved ones. - The statement said he had battled cancer after a diagnosis last summer and that underlying lung issues were involved in his death. - No public schedule for services or memorials was included in the statement. Summary: Bob Weir's death marks the loss of one of the Grateful Dead's founding figures from a band that has been influential in American rock since the 1960s. Public arrangements were not announced in the statement, and further arrangements were not specified.