John Mayer Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Bob Weir: ‘I’ll Meet You in the Music’

In an emotional tribute posted to social media on Sunday, guitarist and singer John Mayer honored his longtime collaborator Bob Weir, who passed away at 78 on Saturday following a battle with cancer compounded by pre-existing lung issues. Mayer, whose own career famously evolved from pop idol to respected instrumentalist, shared a poignant message: "Okay Bob. I’ll do it your way. Fkn’ A… Thanks for letting me ride alongside you. It sure was a pleasure. If you say it’s not the end, then I’ll believe you. I’ll meet you in the music. Come find me anytime."

The profound musical bond between the two artists began unexpectedly a decade ago. In 2015, while guest-hosting "The Late Late Show," Mayer invited Weir to perform, sparking a creative partnership that would define the next chapter for the Grateful Dead's legacy. This collaboration led directly to Mayer's central role in Dead & Company, a band formed by surviving members to carry forward the tradition after the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia, the Dead's legendary lead guitarist whose innovative playing became synonymous with the psychedelic rock movement.

Dead & Company, featuring Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir alongside original drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, provided Mayer a unique platform to immerse himself in the band's vast and complex repertoire. This undertaking required him to master not just the songs, but the ethos of live improvisation that defined the Dead's concerts for decades. Music critic David Fricke once observed that Mayer approached the material "with the diligence of a scholar and the passion of a convert," a commitment that helped win over a initially wary fanbase and introduced the music to a new generation.

The group concluded a celebrated farewell tour in 2023, but later embarked on acclaimed residencies at Las Vegas's state-of-the-art Sphere venue in 2024 and 2025. Their final performances with Weir were a deeply symbolic homecoming: a three-night run in August held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, mere miles from the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where the Grateful Dead first coalesced in 1965. The shows, part of the band's 60th-anniversary observances, followed Dead & Company being named the 2024 MusiCares Persons of the Year—a Grammy Week honor recognizing their philanthropic efforts and monumental cultural impact.

Weir's passing closes a foundational era in American music, yet as Mayer's tribute suggests, the artistic dialogue they shared transcends it. Their partnership proved instrumental in both preserving and revitalizing the Grateful Dead's live tradition, ensuring its intricate, improvisational spirit continues to resonate. The music itself, as Mayer implies, remains a living meeting place for that connection.