Zach Bryan has revealed that just days before the passing of Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir, he was coincidentally gifted one of the musician’s touring guitars as a wedding present.
The country music star, 29, recalled receiving the present from his new wife, Samantha Leonard, in an Instagram post shared Monday.
“Rest in peace to Bob Weir. That guy f***n rocked,” Bryan wrote in the caption. “The day Sammy and me got hitched she gave me a present and I opened it and it was his telecaster from all his days on the road. We all love you and we will all miss you.”
In the same post, he announced the release of the acoustic version of his latest album, With Heaven On Top.
“This one’s for all the weird audiophiles that no matter how much I put into a record will always miss just a guitar & me like I said it’s just me n [sic] a room with a mic and guitar and a very pretty girl and a very small dog,” the “I Remember Everything” artist said. “Love u guys and hope you enjoy it.”
Weir’s death at age 78 was confirmed Saturday by his family, who said in a statement that he had “succumbed to underlying lung issues.”
“He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could,” the statement said. Weir was diagnosed with cancer last July and had undergone treatment just weeks before returning to his hometown stage at California’s Golden Gate Park the next month.
“Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts,” the statement added.
Just over a week before Weir’s death, Bryan tied the knot with Leonard in a private ceremony in Spain on New Year’s Eve.
He celebrated their marriage on Instagram, writing: “Tougher than the rest,” alongside a picture of him holding Leonard in a white dress.
She later shared additional pictures from the ceremony, adding in the caption, “forever xx.”
On his newest album, Bryan delivered an ode to Leonard in the song “Slicked Back.”
“You’re so cool in my living room / And when you talk trash with your hair slicked back,” he sang. “When I get to hell or heaven, can I bring my girl? / ’Cause she likes romance, good sex, music and ruling the world.”
On other tracks, he took aim at an ex-girlfriend, with many lyrics appearing to reference TikTok star Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia, whom he had dated from July 2023 to October 2024.
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead co-founder, dies at 78
Zach Bryan disses ex on new album after messy Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ breakup
Barry Manilow announces new tour dates following lung cancer treatment
Musician Paul Hardcastle’s son, 35, dies in tragic motorcycle accident
Harry Styles teases comeback with cryptic clues about new album
