John Perry Barlow, the poet and rancher who was Bob Weir's writing partner for The Grateful Dead from 1971 through the late '80s, died this (Wednesday) morning at the age of 70. Barlow had a hand in such Dead staples as "Cassidy," "Hell in a Bucket," "I Need a Miracle" and "Estimated Prophet."
Weir responded to the news on Twitter, writing, ”This life is fleeting, as we all know - the Muse we serve is not. John had a way of taking life’s most difficult things and framing them as challenges, therefore adventures. He was to be admired for that, even emulated. He’ll live on in the songs we wrote..."