REMEMBERING BOB WEIR
If he ever felt like he needed a belt of Scotch, it was now. He’ d do this alone, though, without any“ help.” As he began to punch the numbers on the phone, the only comfort he drew was from the decision to make the call at all. Writing was his first thought, but he knew the old man could just crumple up the letter and throw it away. That wouldn’ t do. Showing up unannounced was also out of the question; he imagined the old man clutching his chest and collapsing to the floor in the doorway before him. No, phoning was the way to go. And now was the time to do it.
“ Hello, Colonel Jack Parber?” Once he got him on the phone, he figured he had a 20-second window— just enough time to drop the bomb
“ THE TELECASTER HAD ITS ORIGINAL CREAM FINISH WHEN JAMES GOT IT IN 1969, BUT HE’ D STRIPPED THE HEAVY SWAMP ASH BODY DOWN TO BARE WOOD AND REPLACED THE TUNING MACHINES AND PICKUPS IN THE BARGAIN. IT WAS A REAL WORKING MAN’ S GUITAR— THE ONE HE’ D BEEN WAITING FOR.” before the old man hung up on him.“ My name is Robert Weir. I live in Mill Valley, and I’ ve been doing a little research.”
He had rehearsed this little soliloquy countless times in the past few years, playing it over and over in his mind, and with dread anticipation of this day. But there would be no more putting it off.“ I turned up some information that might be of considerable interest to you,” he continued, half expecting the dial tone at any moment.“ But first I need to ask you a couple of questions pertaining to a certain event that transpired in Tucson in early 1947.”
The first question was the only one he needed to ask, and he delivered it point-blank:“ Were you perhaps romantically involved with a young lady by the name of Phyllis?” He held his breath in the uncomfortable silence that followed. Relieved by the Colonel’ s positive, if extremely wary response, he said,“ Well sir, I don’ t know how many children you have, but there is a strong likelihood that you have one more than you know.”
Long silence.
In 1946, the war was over, and airman Jack Parber returned home. During the conflict he had been a pilot, flying B-26 bombers. At 19, he was already the captain of his own crew, but his group wouldn’ t see any action on the other side of either ocean; the war ended before they could be deployed. Once back home, Jack enrolled at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he met and fell in love
106 | SPRING 2026