How did Jerry Garcia Die? Bob Weir once confessed to seeing Grateful Dead member in a dream shortly before his death

Bob Weir, the guitarist who co-founded the Grateful Dead alongside Jerry Garcia, has died aged 78, as per a statement shared by his family on Instagram.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues,” they shared.

Bob Weir's death opened up old memories and got fans remembering Jerry Garcia. As per a report shared by History, Grateful Dead fans lost their cultural icon 30 years ago on August 9, 1995. Garcia, the legendary guitarist, died of a heart attack, aged 53, in a residential drug-treatment facility in California.

Weir had opened up about Jerry Garcia's death back in 2019, in an interview with GQ. He shared the story about the night Garcia died and how he saw him in a dream shortly before his death.

“He had a real sort of intense look in his eye, he looked straight at me, and then through me and then he stepped into me,” Weir shared.

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Bob Weir was 16 when he met Jerry Garcia; years later, he dreamed of him one last time

A teenage Bob Weir bumped into Jerry Garcia in a Palo Alto music store, and the chance encounter led to a musical alliance that became the Grateful Dead. The band soon anchored a generation. In the GQ interview, Weir revisited the night that would haunt him: August 8 & 9, 1995. He said he dreamed of a club backstage and discovered an odd can of paint, invisible but effective:

“It was really sticky, gooey, awful stuff. But it worked. So I painted myself up and started f**king with people, like you would do.”

Jerry Garcia arrived in the dream looking renewed.

“He was looking really splendid. His hair was black again. He was tall. And he had a velour cape on.”

Weir tried to show him the paint, but Jerry Garcia carried a distant intensity.

“He had a real sort of intense look in his eye. He looked straight at me, and then through me and then he stepped into me.”

When Weir woke, he learned Jerry Garcia had died of a heart attack at the rehab center.

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Bob Weir’s family honors his final chapter with message of gratitude and light

In an emotional Instagram statement, Bob Weir’s family reflected on his legacy and resilience. The family detailed the way Weir approached the final stretch of his life, describing a career that spanned more than six decades.

“For over sixty years, Bobby took to the road. A guitarist, vocalist, storyteller, and founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music. His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul, building a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans carry with them,” the statement read.

They continued by highlighting the intention behind his music:

“Every chord he played, every word he sang was an integral part of the stories he wove. There was an invitation: to feel, to question, to wander, and to belong.”

Addressing his health, the family shared that Weir had been diagnosed in July and began treatment shortly before returning to the stage.

“Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. Diagnosed in July, he began treatment only weeks before returning to his hometown stage for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at Golden Gate Park. Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts.”

They described his final chapter as one shaped by choice, persistence, and artistry.