Bob Weir to Receive First Les Paul Spirit Award

The Les Paul Foundation has announced the Les Paul Spirit Award, and its first recipient is former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir.

Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead who co-wrote some of the band's best-known songs, will receive the award, which is presented to an artist who has exemplified the spirit of Les Paul through engineering, technology or music, at this year's edition of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

“I cannot think of anyone more fitting to be honored with the first annual Les Paul Spirit Award than Bob Weir. Not only is he an extraordinary talent who has given us an amazing array of legendary music, but he is an innovator who understands music, technologies and the spirit of Les Paul,” said Michael Braunstein, executive director of the Les Paul Foundation. “If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Bob would be experimenting together at TRI Studios or at Les’ house and the results would be extraordinary."