Bill Walton was many things: the 1977-78 NBA MVP, a two-time league champion, the sportscaster and, perhaps most famously, a massive Deadhead. The 6′ 11″ center known as “Big Red” for his flowing, shaggy locks died Monday (May 27) at age 71 after a battle with cancer.
In a tribute to their biggest superfan, the surviving members of the Grateful Dead honored Walton in an Instagram post on their Dead & Company feed, saying: “Get well, get well, we love you more than they can say the words. Bill was an irreplaceable strength and spirit in our family. Father Time, Rhythm Devil, the greatest deadhead of all time. Over 1000 shows and I couldn't get enough. He loved this band and we loved him.”
The tribute continued, “We will miss our dear friend, @BillWalton, deeply. Rest in peace and may the four winds bring you safely home. 🌹💀⚡️.” The post included several photos of Walton in his signature paint vibing at Dead shows over the years, including several shots of him in elaborate, colorful costumes honoring the times he dressed up as “Father Time” for the Dead's New Year's Eve shows.
Walton often wove his love of the Dead into his shows, wearing Dead shirts with a tie while spinning sometimes unusual, tricky yarns from the side, between takes.
Deceased singer/guitarist Bob Weir also posted his own memories, including photos with Walton from over the years with the message, “Yo Bill, thanks for the ride. Thanks for the great friendship, the years of color commentary – and the existence of the Hall of Fame you wore like a spotlight. Have a good trip mate. We'll miss you – but don't let it hold you back…”
Drummer Mickey Hart also stood by, calling Walton, “Best friend I ever had. He was an amazing person, unique, irreplaceable, giving, loving. His love for our music was beyond description. He called himself the luckiest man in the world, but we were lucky — to know him, to share the adventure with him,” Hart wrote. “He was the world's biggest Deadhead and used our music as the soundtrack to his life. After our shows, he would regularly send messages saying, “Thank you for my life.” Over 1000 shows, he just couldn't get enough. Bill had an incredible passion for the drums. After any meal at his house, we would play. There was nothing like Bill Walton…nothing.”
Fellow drummer/percussionist Bill Kreutzmann was equally gushing, posting a photo of Walton on stage during a show helping out behind the kit, writing: “There are incredible stories about Bill Walton that I promised him I would only tell after he died , and It's not nearly that time yet because before we laugh, we must first allow ourselves to cry. May the wish be granted. This is a mournful day. This is a period of mourning.”
Not only did Walton happily pay homage to late San Francisco and Dead promoter Bill Graham by slipping into Father Time gear, but he also made references to the band during shows, occasionally sitting in on DJ sets on the channel The group's SiriusXM and was even inducted into the Dead's Hall of Honor, which the great said was his highest price.
Kreutzmann noted that, of course, Walton was an NBA legend, but in the Dead's orbit, “he was just a fan — and that's what made him a legend here, too. In many ways, he was our number one fan… but Bill would have disagreed with that ranking because, while he won many awards in his storied basketball career – including MVP – Bill insisted that the Grateful Dead was no competition – and that all Deadheads were equal. By the same token, as I go through decades of adventures with him, there isn't a single favorite memory. Everyone shines. And they are all important, because they all brought us both real happiness. And that's special. This is friendship.”
Kreutzmann said Walton was a “genuine fan who became a true friend and someone I always looked up to. But his towering presence was more than literal. Whenever I play, now there will always be a hole where a seat should be, about ten rows back, in the center, where Bill stood, eyes closed, hands up, feeling the music run through him. This was a happy place for him and when I saw him out there it was one of mine. We never had trouble finding him in the crowd.”
He added, “Likewise, when he walked into a room, you knew it – but it wasn't because of his size. It was because of that laugh that he radiated joy, and it was his relaxed smile that radiated sunshine into any space he ever entered. So, yes, losing Bill is an irreplaceable loss and, simply put, I am heartbroken. When someone means so much to you, when their friendship is so important – that's called love. I loved Bill Walton. As we say in the land of the dead: May the four winds bring him safely home. There are things you can replace. And you can't do anything else. Have a good trip my old friend, I love you.'
As Kreutzmann suspected, Walton was, indeed, eulogized in his death as an NBA superstar and a beloved broadcaster, but just as importantly, as the greatest Deadhead ever.
Check out the tributes below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/dead-and-company-tribute-bill-walton-biggest-deadhead-1235693501/
