Connect with us

Entertainment

Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, dies at 78

Published

on

Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, dies at 78


Bob Weir, a founding member of the legendary rock band the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family announced Saturday. 

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir,” his family wrote in a post to his Instagram page. “He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”

In the statement, the family disclosed that Weir had been diagnosed with cancer in July.

“As we remember Bobby, it’s hard not to feel the echo of the way he lived,” his family wrote. “A man driftin’ and dreamin’, never worrying if the road would lead him home. A child of countless trees. A child of boundless seas.”

Bob Weir attends the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images


Weir formed the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia after the two met in 1963 as teens in Palo Alto, California. The band, with its unique mix of blues, folk and jazz, became a touring powerhouse for decades until Garcia’s death in 1995. 

Weir wrote or co-wrote and sang lead vocals on Dead classics including “Sugar Magnolia,” “One More Saturday Night” and “Mexicali Blues.”  

The group eventually reformed a few years after Garcia’s death and took many iterations over the years, the latest as Dead & Company.  

Bob Weir

FILE – This undated file photo shows members of the Grateful Dead, from left to right, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Jerry Garcia, Brent Mydland, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir.

AP


“For over sixty years, Bobby took to the road,” his family’s statement said. “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.”

Weir’s death leaves drummer Bill Kreutzmann as the only surviving original member. Founding bassist Phil Lesh died in 2024.

Dead and Company played a series of concert’s for the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary in July at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Born in San Francisco and raised in nearby Atherton, Weir was the Dead’s youngest member and looked like a fresh-faced high-schooler in its early years. He was generally less shaggy than the rest of the band, but had a long beard like Garcia’s in later years.

The band would survive long past the hippie moment of its birth, with its fans known as Deadheads often following them on the road in a virtually non-stop tour.

“Longevity was never a major concern of ours,” Weir said when the Dead got the Grammys’ Musicares Person of the Year honor last year. “Spreading joy through the music was all we ever really had in mind and we got plenty of that done.”





Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Musk’s X to open source new algorithm in seven days

Published

on

Musk’s X to open source new algorithm in seven days


A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and the X logo are seen in this illustration taken January 23, 2025. — Reuters

Elon Musk said on Saturday that social media platform X will open to the public its new algorithm, including all code for organic and advertising post recommendations, in seven days.

“This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed,” he said in his X post.

Earlier this week, the European Commission decided to extend a retention order sent to X last year, which related to algorithms and dissemination of illegal content, prolonging it to the end of 2026, spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters on Thursday.

In July 2025, Paris prosecutors investigated the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction, which Musk’s X called a “politically-motivated criminal investigation” that threatens its users’ free speech.

Last month, the European Union levied a 120 million euro ($140 million) fine on X, with regulators saying the company breached its transparency obligations under the bloc’s Digital Services Act. The fine is related to X’s “blue checkmark” subscription, lack of transparency related to its ad repository and failure to provide researchers access to the platform’s public data.

Musk replied with an obscenity under a European Commission post about the fine.





Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

PCB ‘decides to hold auction’ for Multan Sultans franchise

Published

on

PCB ‘decides to hold auction’ for Multan Sultans franchise


Multan Sultans’ Michael Bracewell (third from right) celebrates taking a wicket with teammates during their PSL 10 match against Lahore Qalandars at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on April 22, 2025. — PCB

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to auction Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans owing to a good price secured in the recent auction of two new teams, the sources said on Sunday.

The board, last month, had announced that it would be taking over the control of the Multan Sultans owing to the expiration of its ownership agreement on December 31, 2025.

The sources, back then, had said that under the proposed plan, the PCB was to manage the franchise for one year before handing over the franchise to a new owner through an auction in 2027.

If implemented, the arrangement would save the PCB around $4 million in a year, as it would not have to pay $3m from the central pool or an additional $1m in sponsorship funds. However, an audit firm’s report notes that the PCB would not receive the franchise fee for that year, which stands at $8.5m.

In November, Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen announced via social media that he was parting ways with the PSL franchise. Sources indicate that relations between the PCB and Ali Tareen had remained strained over the past year, eventually reaching a point of no return.

Multan Sultans were originally awarded as the sixth PSL team to the Schon Group under a $5.2m agreement, making it the most expensive franchise at the time, double the price of Karachi Kings, which was acquired for $2.6m.

Sources say that the decision to auction Multan Sultans has been made as the PCB got “a good price” in the recent auction, and the inclusion of two new teams, namely Hyderabad and Sialkot, is pushing the number of teams in PSL 11 to eight.

Therefore, the board believes that there is no better time to sell Multan Sultans as well, and an open bidding will be held with an advertisement likely to be issued soon in this regard.

An official announcement will be made soon after reviewing the legal aspects, adding sources, saying that the board expects the franchise to be sold for a good price as well.





Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ finally gets release date

Published

on

‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ finally gets release date


‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ finally gets release date

Godzilla Minus Zero roared back with the long-awaited release date in a new update from the studios.

The sequel to the Oscar-winning film Godzilla Minus One has locked in a November 6 premiere date for North American theaters.

The newly unveiled date follows quickly on the heels of Godzilla owner Toho releasing the feature in Japan on November 3.

While no casting details regarding Godzilla Minus Zero are yet available, the title, a first-look artwork and a teaser logo was revealed previously.

The announcement of the upcoming movie was made on Godzilla Day 2025 at an event in Tokyo in the wake of Godzilla Minus One success.

The first movie took place in post-World War II Japan and centered on a Kamikaze pilot Koichi (Ryunokuke Kamiki), who lives in shame after choosing not to die in battle.

However, he ultimately finds redemption as he helps his nation deal with the monster known as Godzilla.

Additionally, reports suggested that Takashi Yamazaki will serve as a director for the new movie.

He previously won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for the 2023 movie, for which he served as the VFX supervisor as well as the filmmaker.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending