Robert Hunter
Nee: Robert Burns
Band: Grateful Dead
Position: lyricist
Died: Sept. 23
Cause of death: undisclosed
Age: 78
Distinctions: The yin to Jerry Garcia's yang, Hunter supplied the lyrics to countless Grateful Dead songs with Garcia providing the music. The songs include "Truckin'" (No. 64, 1971), "Touch of Grey" (No. 9, 1987), "Casey Jones" (1970), "Dark Star" (1968), "China Cat Sunflower" (1969), "Friend of the Devil" (1970), "Playing in the Band" (1971), "Ripple" (1970), "Terrapin Station" (1977), "St. Stephen" (1970), "Uncle John's Band" (1970), "Sugaree" (1972) and "Franklin's Tower" (1975). He also added words to Dead songs by Bob Weir ("Jack Straw," 1971) and Phil Lesh ("Box of Rain," 1970) and ones by Bob Dylan (most of the 2009 album, Together Through Life, and 2012's "Duquesne Whistle"), Bruce Hornsby, the New Riders of the Purple Sage and others. He also released 12 solo albums from 1974-1993 and nine books.
