“Thank you Bob for pulling me into your orbit,” the bassist wrote in a heartfelt tribute
Oteil Burbridge honored his Dead & Company bandmate, Bob Weir, on Monday, following the icon’s death at 78.
“I can’t think of anyone that needed to play live music any more than Bob,” the bassist wrote, in a post on social media. “It went past devotion, past dedication, past obsession. It seemed to me more like self identification. I think he felt it is what and who he was. I also cannot think of anyone who played more live shows. We could depend on it like the sun coming up.”
He continued: “Thank you Bob for pulling me into your orbit. There are no words that could ever encompass the last ten years we shared together. I’m so blessed to have been a part of it all. And thank you for being so generous with your time and sharing yourself with so many of us younger musicians. It does my heart good to see so many pictures of you with so many musicians that weren’t in the Grateful Dead. Thank you for including us. There is no higher form of musical grace.”
“Lastly, a friend of mine noted that it was sad that Bob died at just 78 years old,” he added. “I told him I thought Bob packed at least 146 years into it.” Read the full tribute below.
Burbridge formed Dead & Company with Weir, John Mayer, drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti in 2015 (Jay Lane replaced Kreutzmann in 2023). It’s unclear how — and if — the Grateful Dead offshoot will continue without Weir, but his bandmates have all released heartfelt tributes honoring him.
“Bob Weir was a little brother to me for almost sixty years,” Hart said. “He was my first friend in the Grateful Dead. We lived together, played together, and made music together that ended up changing the world.” Meanwhile, Mayer wrote, “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.”
