John Perry Barlow dead: Grateful Dead lyricist and Internet pioneer dies, aged 70

Co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation

John Perry Barlow (David I. Gross/David I. Gross/REX/Shutterstock)

John Perry Barlow — best known for writing lyrics for Grateful Dead and co-founding the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) — has died, aged 70.

Barlow’s death was first announced by Amir Bar-Lev, who directed the Martin Scorsese-produced Grateful Dead documentary Long Strange Trip.

A statement from EFF confirmed the new later, reading: “We will miss Barlow and his wisdom for decades to come, and he will always be an integral part of EFF.”

“It is no exaggeration to say that major parts of the internet we all know and love today exist and thrive because of Barlow’s vision and leadership,” the statement, written by the company’s executive director Cindy Cohn, continued.

“He always saw the internet as a fundamental place of freedom, where voices long silenced can find an audience and people can connect with others regardless of physical distance.”

While no cause of death has been announced, NBC News reports that Barlow was in poor health since suffering a heart attack in 2015.

Barlow was best known to music lovers as the lyricist behind the Grateful Dead songs “Cassidy,” "Estimated Prophet," "Black-Throated Wind," and many more.

However, in Silicon Valley, Barlow was better known as a pioneer behind EFF, along with Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit organisation supporting freedom of press and speech.