When Dead & Company head out on their final tour this spring and summer, they'll be down a member.
The band released a statement saying, "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 that he is in good spirits, good health, and he is not retiring. 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 have toured without the 76-year-old Kreutzmann before, but that was due to health issues.
This leaves Bob Weir and Mickey Hart as the only two members from The Grateful Dead, with the Company being John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti.
Weir is the only original Dead member as Hart didn't join until 1967, two years after they formed.
Dead & Company start their tour May 6th at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It runs through July 14th, 15th and 16th at Oracle Park in the Grateful Dead's hometown of San Francisco.
Kreutzmann and his band, Billy & The Kids, have a show in New Orleans on Thursday.