Grateful Dead Founder Exits Dead and Company Tour Featuring John Mayer

Drummer Bill Kreutzmann will not be a part of Dead & Company's upcoming final tour. The band – consisting of Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and John Mayer – announced Saturday that "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."

Although Kreutzmann has faced health issues recently, the band confirmed that this was not three reason for the decision. Rather, Kreutzmann stepped back from the band due to a "shift in creative direction" and will continue making music. According to Dead and Company, Kreutzmann "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 band added that the "final tour will go on as planned with Bill's full endorsement and support."

Kreutzmann formed The Grateful Dead in 1964 alongside Weir, Jerry Garcia, Dana Morgan Jr., and Ron McKernan. At the time, the group was called The Warlocks. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee went on to help form Dead & Company, an offshoot of the original eclectic rock band, in 2015. The band's final tour is set to kick off in Los Angeles on May 19.