Dead & Company paid tribute to the late “world’s biggest Deadhead,” Bill Walton, during their Thursday night performance at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
While the Grateful Dead spinoff band played “Fire on the Mountain,” several photos of Walton, the legendary NBA Hall of Fame player turned announcer, were displayed on the video board inside the Strip’s new entertainment arena.
The photos include pictures of Walton attending various Dead concerts, photos with members of the band, and the tie-dyed number 32 that he wore in college and in the NBA.
Walton died on Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 71 years old.
The tribute to the basketball icon came as Dead & Company kicked off their third week of residency at the Sphere.
“Music and basketball were exactly the same thing,” Walton said of the band’s fun.
“The team has goals, the band has songs, the fans cheer because it makes them happy, but they also want the players to perform better and faster and push everyone further.”
Following Walton’s death, the band paid tribute to their friend on social media.
“Farewell, farewell, we love you more than words can express,” Dead & Company said. In an Instagram postWalton was the biggest Deadhead of all time, he said, and “was an incredible force and spirit in our family.”
Walton’s love for the band was no secret.
In his 2015 autobiography, “Back from the Dead,” he revealed that he attended more than 800 Grateful Deal and Dead & Company concerts.
In the book, Walton says he first went to a Grateful Dead concert in 1971 while he was in college. According to Fox Sports.
“Over 1,000 shows and it’s still not enough. He loves this band and we love him,” the band said.
“We will deeply miss our beloved friend @BillWalton. Rest in peace and may the four winds carry you safely home.”
Several of the band’s original members also shared their personal memories of Walton.
“Hey Bill, thanks for the ride,” co-founder and guitarist Bobby Weir writes: Attached is a photo of the two of them.
“Thank you for your great friendship, your years of commentary and your Hall of Fame presence that shone like a headlight. Farewell, friend. We will surely miss you, but don’t let that slow you down…”
Longtime drummer Mickey Hart said he was lucky to have known Walton.
“Bill was my best friend. He was an amazing person, unique, irreplaceable, generous and loving. He called himself the luckiest man in the world and we were all blessed to have known him,” Hart said.
“Some things can be replaced, some things can’t. Farewell, old friend. I love you.”
John Mayer (45), who is following in the footsteps of legendary Dead & Company frontman Jerry Garcia, said Walton “had a focus on what’s really important, the things that we know we shouldn’t lose sight of but that we often do.”
“In the Grateful Dead world, acceptance can be a difficult climb, and Bill helped me climb it with his kindness, encouragement and friendship,” Mayer wrote in his eulogy. Instagram.
“I will miss him so much but I will never forget his attitude towards life. I think his advice is great when you’re in a difficult situation just pretend you’re Bill Walton and everything will be okay. Thank you Bill.”
With post wire
