Grateful Dead:

Weir's role as a rhythm player was to give force and color to the developing music. Like a jazz guitarist, Weir was often not evident in the mix, but still a profound shape on the sound.

His earliest songwriting efforts mirrored those of Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh, though less... more successfully. Soon, though, Weir was producing songs in his own distinct style -- a blend of Americana and the odd voicings he specialized in. As the health of frontman Ron "Pigpen" McKernan waned, Weir found his rich baritone increasingly at the center of attention and developed a stage personality to match it.
(Image: Michael Putland/Retna)

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