Bob Weir's Real Name: Robert Hall Weir

Quick answer: Bob Weir's documented full name is Robert Hall Weir. He was born on October 16, 1947, in San Francisco. A founding member of the Grateful Dead, he died in January 2026 at 78; his family announced the death on January 10, 2026 (AP; BBC).

Real name and early life

A Library of Congress CIP data sheet gives the name Robert Hall Weir, born October 16, 1947. The heading is "Weir, Bob, 1947-2026," with the official variant "Weir, Robert Hall, 1947-." The Associated Press says he was born in San Francisco and raised in nearby Atherton, and that he joined the Grateful Dead — originally the Warlocks — in 1965 in San Francisco at 17, the band's youngest member.

Career highlights

Weir was the Grateful Dead's rhythm guitarist and one of its two lead vocalists, AP says. He wrote or co-wrote and sang lead on songs including "Sugar Magnolia," "One More Saturday Night," and "Mexicali Blues." The group became a central force in San Francisco's 1960s counterculture and a pioneering jam band, the BBC says, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. It also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. After the band ended in 1995 following the death of fellow co-founder Jerry Garcia, Weir continued in offshoots including Dead & Company, which later played a Las Vegas Sphere residency and a 60th-anniversary run at Golden Gate Park in July, AP says, drawing some 60,000 fans a day over three days. AP also notes that the Grateful Dead were Kennedy Center honorees in 2024.

Death

The Associated Press, in a report updated January 10, 2026, said Weir had died at 78 and that the death was announced that Saturday in a statement on his Instagram page. The statement, also posted on his official site, said he "transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer" and that he "succumbed to underlying lung issues." AP wrote that the statement did not say where or when he died, though he had lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for most of his life. Britannica likewise records the death as January 2026. Reuters and the BBC also reported the death, at 78, based on the family's statement.

Name notes for searchers

Robert Hall Weir is the documented full name; he was known as Bob Weir or Bobby Weir. He should not be confused with other musicians named Weir. This page is about the Grateful Dead guitarist who died in 2026.