The surviving members of the Grateful Dead have paid tribute to NBA Hall of Famer and beloved Deadhead, Bill Walton, who sadly passed away on Monday at the age of 71 from cancer.
- "Father Time, Rhythm Devil, biggest deadhead ever. Over 1,000 shows and couldn't get enough," the band's offshoot, Dead & Company, shared in a heartfelt social media statement. "He loved this band, and we loved him. Bill was an irreplaceable force and spirit in our family."
Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann also expressed their sentiments. "Yo Bill, thanks for the ride," wrote Weir, posting nostalgic photos with the legendary athlete. "Thanks for the wonderful friendship, the years of color commentary, and the Hall of Fame existence that you wore like headlights."
Mickey Hart described Walton as "the best friend I ever had," sharing a photo of the two laughing together. "He called himself the luckiest man in the world, but it was us who were lucky - to know him, to share the adventure with him," he said. "He was the biggest Deadhead in the world and used our music as the soundtrack to his life. After our shows, he would regularly send messages that said, ‘thank you for my life.' There are things you can replace. And others you cannot. Bon voyage, old friend. I love you."
Bill Kreutzmann reminisced about his incredible stories with Walton, promising he'd only share them after Walton's passing. "It's not nearly that time yet because before we laugh, first we must allow ourselves to cry," he wrote. "Darn it. This is a mournful day."
- In many ways, Walton was their number one fan, but as Kreutzmann noted, "Bill would've taken issue with that ranking because, while he won many awards in his storied basketball career - including MVP - Bill insisted that the Grateful Dead was not a competition - and that all Deadheads were equal."
"Whenever I play, there will now always be a hole where a seat should be, about ten rows back, center, where Bill used to stand, eyes closed, arms raised, while he felt the music running through him. That was a happy place for him and seeing him out there was one of mine," Kreutzmann added. "I loved Bill Walton. As we say in the land of the Dead: May the four winds blow him safely home."
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