Today, Dead & Company shared a statement that beloved percussionist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, Bill Kreutzmann, will not be joining them on their final tour set to take place this summer.
The band wrote a letter announcing the news on social media that read, “Every day, things change. After many long discussions and some good old-fashioned soul searching, we are letting you know that our brother Bill Kreutzmann will not be joining us on our final summer tour. Bill wants you to know he is in good spirits, good health and he is not retiring.” They went on to write, “This is the culmination of a shift in creative direction as we keep these songs alive and breathing in ways that we each feel is best to continue to honor the legacy of the Grateful Dead. The Final tour will go on as planned with Bill’s full endorsement and support.”
Dead & Company closed the message by expressing their excitement for their upcoming appearance at New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and by saying, “Let the music play the band,” before signing off with Bobby, Billy, Mickey and John.
Upon the final tour’s initial announcement, Kruetzmann shared, “The Grateful Dead always felt timeless from our very beginnings at the Acid Tests where ‘time’ did some funny things so we left it behind altogether. This music will always exist, always evolve, always be the soundtrack of our ever-changing lives.” He continued, “I have loved this chapter with Dead & Company, as we got to explore The Music with some new interpreters and different antennas, but we always knew it was just a chapter. The Music never stops.”
Kreutzmann’s replacement for the summer tour is yet to be announced. This is a developing story.
See the full statement below.