Entertainment
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.”
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.
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.”
At least 10 people have been hurt in a horrific shooting incident at the Mall of Louisiana. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, two of the injured are in critical condition.
Police Chief TJ Morse has ruled out any threat to public at this time; however, the shooter remains at large. He added that the incident was not a random act of violence.
Morse said: “Unfortunately there was some innocent people in the area that might have also caught some rounds.”
The initial investigation reveals that an argument between two groups of people sitting inside the food court escalated to the point that opened fire at each other.
Arounf six victims were taken to the hospital by emergency services while the others went for medical aid by personal vehicle. Some of the injured were undergoing surgery.
Officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were also present at the scene.
East Baton Rogue Mayor-President Sid Edwards was also present on the scene. He updated that all the civilians were excorted out of the building. He requested public to “keep the victims and their families in your prayers.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also released a statement, saying, “I am aware of the active shooter schene at the Mall of Louisiana.” He urged public to avoid the area, adding, “Sharon and I are praying for those affected.”
He also praised the law officials for their quick response to the incident.
The incident comes just hours after the police arrested a man on his way to Louisiana allegedly with the intent to carry out a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans.
Prince William took a turn behind the scenes of high-speed innovation this week, visiting the headquarters of Jaguar TCS Racing and putting the spotlight firmly on the future of electric motorsport.
Sharing a clip from his visit on Instagram, the Prince of Wales captioned it: “Going green with Jaguar TCS Racing and Formula E!” a nod to the team’s push toward electrification, sustainability.
William also brought his trademark curiosity to the table, joking with engineers about how far automation in racing could eventually go.
Speaking during the visit, he quipped: “At what point does the driver become the weak link?”
Before pushing the thought further: “(At what point do we think) get rid of drivers, we’ll get an AI person in? We’re probably not far off that, are we?”
The Prince also spent time speaking 22-year-old Phoebe Russell, where the conversation turned to careers in motorsport and the barriers still faced by women entering the industry.
William asked: “Was it easy for you to find your way into this world?” to which Russell replied: “Not at all,” explaining she had early exposure to the sport through family connections.
After the visit, Russell admitted the encounter left her overwhelmed, saying: “Being asked to do a little career talk was very exciting.
The fact that he had so much awareness of the sport and so much interest, and it ties into his whole sustainability project, it was very interesting.”
Before leaving, William signed off with encouragement for the team ahead of their next challenge, telling them: “I’m very excited to see you racing, I’m going to cheer you guys on.”
Michael has finally been released on April 24 and it is already getting a lot of attention, with people discussing how the story of Michael Jackson has been shown on screen.
The project has been in talks for a long time. It was first discussed in 2019 and later confirmed in 2022, so fans have been waiting for years to see it.
One of the biggest reasons for interest is that Jackson’s real life nephew Jaafar Jackson is playing him, which made people even more curious about how the film would turn out.
The producer Graham King shared that the goal was to show a fair and balanced version of Michael’s life, explaining the idea was to show him as a real person, not just focus on fame but also his struggles and personal side.
Before the release, some parts of the story got to be changed because of legal restrictions.
That means a few planned scenes were removed or adjusted before the final cut.
Even with all the debate and discussion around the film, early reactions suggest strong interest from audiences.
Many fans around the world are still excited to watch Michael and decide for themselves after seeing it, which is why expectations at the box office remain high.
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