Zach Bryan's Wife Gave Him Bob Weir's Guitar as a Wedding Gift, Just Days Before the Grateful Dead Co-Founder's Death
- - Zach Bryan's Wife Gave Him Bob Weir's Guitar as a Wedding Gift, Just Days Before the Grateful Dead Co-Founder's Death
Erin ClackJanuary 14, 2026 at 5:33 AM
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Zach Bryan/Instagram; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Samantha Leonard and Zach Bryan on their wedding day; Bob Weir in January 2025 -
Zach Bryan revealed that his wife, Samantha Leonard, gave him one of Bob Weir's guitars as a wedding present, just days before the Grateful Dead co-founder's death
Bryan said it was Weir's "telecaster from all his days on the road"
Weir's team announced his death at the age of 78 on Instagram on Jan. 10
Zach Bryan is revealing the special wedding gift he received from his wife, Samantha Leonard, that now has even more sentimental value.
In a post on Instagram on Monday, Jan. 12, the "Pink Skies" singer, 29, shared that Leonard gave him a guitar once owned by Bob Weir, just days before the Grateful Dead co-founder's death.
"Rest in peace to Bob Weir. That guy f--kn rocked," Bryan wrote in the caption. "The day Sammy and me got hitched she gave me a present and I opened it and it was his telecaster from all his days on the road. We all love you and we will all miss you."
Weir's team announced his death at the age of 78 via a statement shared on Instagram on Saturday, Jan. 10.
C Flanigan/WireImage
Bob Weir performing in 2012
"It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues," the statement said in part.
"Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. Diagnosed in July, he began treatment only weeks before returning to his hometown stage for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at Golden Gate Park," the statement continued. "Those performances, emotional, soulful, and full of light, were not farewells, but gifts. Another act of resilience. An artist choosing, even then, to keep going by his own design."
Bryan revealed the guitar gift as he announced an acoustic version of his new album, With Heaven on Top. "This one’s for all the weird audiophiles that no matter how much I put into a record will always miss just a guitar & me. Like I said it’s just me n a room with a mic and guitar and a very pretty girl and a very small dog," he wrote on Instagram, seemingly referencing his wife.
He noted that if the album release "wasn’t previously planned" for that day, he "would have left this alone and let the world be," referring to Weir's death.
Bryan and Leonard tied the knot in Spain on New Year's Eve. Hours after a video circulated online of the two getting into a car decorated with a "Just Married" sign, the country music star confirmed his marriage on Instagram.
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He shared a photo of himself holding Leonard as she wore a strapless white gown, as well as a clip of himself singing a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest" at the couple's wedding celebration.
In addition to his wedding gift from Leonard, Bryan previously revealed another special detail about the couple's nuptials. In a Jan. 5 post on his Instagram Stories, the Grammy Award winner shared that his bride's gown featured a touching tribute to his late mother, Annette, who died in 2016.
Zach Bryan/Instagram
Zach Bryan's Instagram Stories post about wife Samantha Leonard's wedding gown
"Samantha went out of her way to put my mom's wedding dress lace on her dress, and I cried for a good bit," Bryan wrote. "Meant so much sweetheart, thank you."
That post was followed by a photo of his mother, over which Bryan wrote: "Wish you were here about now gorgeous."
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was previously married to Rose Madden from 2020 to 2021, and was in relationships with Deb Peifer from 2022 to 2023, BFFs podcast host Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ LaPaglia from 2023 to 2024, and ex-girlfriend Hannah Duncan for a few months in early 2025.
In November 2024, LaPaglia accused the musician of emotional abuse and alleged that he offered her $12 million and a house to not talk about their relationship.
“You made the women before me believe that they had no other choice than to take money from you, sign their experiences away, sign what they went through away," LaPaglia claimed on the BFFs Podcast. “You get to go skip off and sing your little f------ songs on stage like you're a good dude ... Sorry, I'm not them."
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Although Bryan has not commented publicly on the allegations, he subtly referenced his ex in a video, sharing a clip to his Instagram Stories that featured him setting fire to a flag for Barstool Sports — the media company that hosts LaPaglia’s podcast.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
