John Mayer Won't Rule Out a Dead and Company Return

John Mayer says he hasn’t closed the door on continuing with Dead and Company.

The future of the Grateful Dead offshoot has been in question since the death of Bob Weir in January. Mayer previously hinted he would not be part of the group if it continued, telling USA Today he was “going back to [his] corner” and that he was “ready to be in the crowd with everybody.”

In a recent interview with SiriusXM, Mayer clarified his position and, most importantly, kept the possibility of returning to Dead and Company alive.

“Part of the grieving process is to hang it up,” Mayer explained to host Andy Cohen. “If you don’t hang it up, then you don’t grieve fully, so I’m in the process right now."

“I’m not thinking beyond just the healing and the grieving, as so many other people are doing along with me,” he continued. “It doesn’t feel right to think about [returning to Dead and Company], but in no way is that my – I’m not swearing it off. I’m not saying like, ‘You’ll never see me on stage doing that.’ I don’t know how you will yet, and I don’t really want to start thinking about actionable ways to do it.”

John Mayer Is Still Dealing With the Loss of Bob Weir

Mayer admitted he’s still coming to grips with the loss of Weir, an idol turned close friend whom he shared the stage with for over a decade. The future of Dead and Company – if there is one – remains something he’ll figure out further down the line.

“I kind of want to wallow a little,” Mayer noted. “I kind of – I think it’s important sometimes to say, ‘Well, that’s that,’ so that you can feel it and go through that and mourn that, so I hope people understand that, and if they don’t, then maybe I’ve sort of helped. I don’t have any specific plan [moving forward].”

With Weir’s death, Mickey Hart is now the last former Grateful Dead member in Dead and Company’s lineup. Bill Kreutzmann, the Grateful Dead’s last surviving original member, was previously in the band until departing in 2023, and could at least hypothetically return should Dead and Company decide to continue.