As per a recent article by The New York Times, core member and guitarist of Grateful Dead Bob Weir died at the age of 78.Weir's family announced his demise in a statement on Saturday. The statement read that Weir died because of lung issues after a cancer diagnosis in July.With Bob Weir's demise, Mickey Hart and his fellow percussionist Bill Kreutzmann are the only surviving members of the band. Between February 1971 and October 1974, Hart was not a part of the band. He rejoined later on just in time for the band's final shows. Hart did not state any reasons for quitting the band.During the band's 2017 documentary, Long Strange Trip, no mention of Hart's hiatus from the band was made.Members of the band who are no more include Mr Lesh, who passed away in 2024, and Mr. Garcia in 1995. The original keyboardist for the Dead, Ron McKernan, also known as Pigpen, passed away in 1973.On being asked about his reason for quitting the band by Uproxx, Hart replied, “It was my elective to leave the band for a while for personal reasons.”According to reports, those reasons were actually quite personal. In March 1970, Lenny Hart, the Dead's former accountant, fled after robbing them of $155,000. The band's song He's Gone and the well-known Deadhead phrase Steal your face were inspired by this incident.In July of the following year, he was apprehended, found guilty, and imprisoned. Mickey Hart struggled with remorse about the awful situation a close relative had placed his band in, even though he had nothing to do with the crime and was unaware of his father's malicious intent. He thought, "It wasn't a very pleasant time for me, it wasn't a happy time." "I had to solve my own problems as a result."Hart eventually solved this situation and was welcomed into the band with open arms.About Bob Weir's demiseBob Weir was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead. Weir died at the age of 78. Throughout the band's 30-year existence, Weir performed lead vocals and played rhythm guitar.More recently, Weir continued to perform with John Mayer, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and other members of the Grateful Dead in a group known as Dead & Company. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAfter receiving a diagnosis in July, he started treatment just a few weeks before making a comeback to his hometown stage for Golden Gate Park's three-night celebration of 60 years of music. These heartfelt, soulful, and joyful performances were gifts rather than farewells. One last act of fortitude. The complete statement is available for reading below.The news of his demise was confirmed by a statement released by his family."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," read the statement.Ace, Weir's debut solo album, was published in 1972. Heaven Help the Fool was released in 1978. Members of the National contributed to his final album, Blue Mountain (2016). Weir served on the board of the Rex Foundation, which was established by Grateful Dead members with the goal of "proactively providing extensive community support to creative endeavors in the arts, sciences, and education."