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Zach Bryan paid tribute to late legend Bob Weir, and revealed the sentimental wedding gift he received shortly before the Grateful Dead founding member’s death.
Bryan, 29, spotlighted Weir as he released acoustic versions of songs from his newest album, With Heaven on Top, on Monday (January 12), two days after Weir died. He was 78. Bryan said if the acoustic project hadn’t been previously set to release that day, “I would have left this alone and let the world be.” He shared that his new wife, Samantha Leonard, 28, gave him a thoughtful gift on the couple’s wedding day. The couple announced on New Year’s Eve they’d tied the knot in a private ceremony in San Sebastian, Spain.
Bryan wrote in his caption on Instagram that “the day Sammy and me got hitched she gave me a present and I opened it and it was his telecaster from all his days on the road.” He said Weir “f**kn rocked,” and added, “we all love you and we will all miss you.”
Weir was born on October 16, 1947 in San Francisco, California. The guitarist, vocalist and songwriter was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead. A statement on the late legend's Instagram account announced his passing because of “underlying lung issues”: “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.
“His loving family, Natascha, Monet, and Chloe, request privacy during this difficult time and offer their gratitude for the outpouring of love, support, and remembrance,” the post concluded later. “May we honor him not only in sorrow, but in how bravely we continue with open hearts, steady steps, and the music leading us home. Hang it up and see what tomorrow brings.”