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'Playin' in the Band': How Bob Weir changed rock & roll

Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead perform at Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well Show at Soldier Field on Saturday, July 4, 2015, in Chicago, Ill. (Jay Blakesberg/Invision for the Grateful Dead/AP Images)
Jay Blakesberg/Invision for the Grateful Dead/AP Images
Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead perform at Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well Show at Soldier Field on Saturday, July 4, 2015, in Chicago, Ill. (Jay Blakesberg/Invision for the Grateful Dead/AP Images)

Bob Weir, the founding member of and guitarist for the Grateful Dead, was a pioneer in how rhythm guitar is played in rock music. He died earlier this month.

Alan Paul, music journalist and author of several books, including the e-book “Reckoning: Conversations with the Grateful Dead,” joins us to talk about the legacy of Weir’s rhythm guitar playing style.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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