John Mayer Honors Bob Weir With Emotional Tribute: “I’ll Meet You in the Music”
John Mayer shared a deeply personal tribute to Bob Weir, honoring his longtime collaborator and mentor just hours after news of Weir’s death was made public.
In a short but heartfelt message posted late Sunday, Mayer reflected on their decade-long musical partnership and the bond they forged on and off the stage.
“Okay Bob. I’ll do it your way,” 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.”
Bob Weir Dies at 78 After Cancer Battle
Weir’s death was announced on Saturday. He was 78. According to the statement, the legendary musician died due to underlying lung complications following a battle with cancer.
As a cofounder of Grateful Dead, Weir helped shape one of the most influential and enduring legacies in American music, redefining live performance, improvisation, and the relationship between artists and their audiences.
An Unlikely but Defining Collaboration
At first glance, Mayer and Weir appeared to be an unlikely pairing. Mayer, more than 30 years younger, had built his reputation largely as a pop and blues-influenced solo artist. Weir, by contrast, was a countercultural icon whose career began in the 1960s.
Their collaboration began unexpectedly when Mayer was guest-hosting The Late Late Show and invited Weir to perform with him. The chemistry was immediate — and enduring.
That moment led Mayer to join Dead & Company, the latest and most prominent incarnation of the Grateful Dead following the death of frontman Jerry Garcia in 1995.
Alongside Weir and founding drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, Mayer spent more than a decade touring and recording with the band, becoming an essential part of its modern era.
Final Tours and Last Performances
Dead & Company completed what was billed as a farewell tour in July 2023, drawing massive crowds and critical praise. Despite the “farewell” label, the band went on to perform highly acclaimed residencies at the Las Vegas Sphere over the following two years.
The group’s final public performances with Weir took place last August, when they played three celebratory shows at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco — the city where the Grateful Dead first formed in 1965. The concerts marked the band’s 60th anniversary and served as a symbolic homecoming.
Earlier in the year, Dead & Company also performed at the MusiCares gala during Grammy Week, where they were honored as Persons of the Year — one of the final major tributes Weir received during his lifetime.
“I’ll Meet You in the Music”
Mayer’s tribute resonated with fans not because of its length, but because of its intimacy. Rather than focusing on accolades or milestones, he framed their relationship as a shared journey — one that, in his words, does not end with death.
For many listeners, the line “I’ll meet you in the music” encapsulated what Bob Weir represented: a belief that music is not just performance, but connection — something that transcends time, age, and even mortality.
As tributes continue to pour in from across the music world, Mayer’s words stand as a quiet, powerful farewell from one musician to another — and from one generation to the next.
