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"It is with great sadness that we confirm that our beloved Robert died last night," said Hunter's family in a statement collected by several media outlets.
"For a man who provided us with so many meaningful words, the soundtrack of our lives, he left us a little speechless with his passing," Lemieux wrote. "Robert Hunter is as much a part of the Grateful Dead legacy as those who recorded the music to accompany his lyrics."
Mickey Hart, the drummer of Grateful Dead, wrote on his Facebook page: "We loved Bob Hunter and he will be missed unimaginably."
Hart called Hunter "a terrific visionary of words" for the group. "The Grateful Dead was his canvas and together we did magic."
Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir wrote on Twitter: "If I count my blessings, Robert Hunter and his imagination will be at the top of the list, I think I can say a lot by saying that."
CNN tried to join Hunter's family.
Hunter, who was inducted into the 2015 Songwriters Hall of Fame with the late Dead band leader Jerry Garcia, wrote his first lyrics to the band in 1967.
The writer and the poet collaborated with the Grateful Dead on songs ranging from "Friend of the Devil" and "Truckin" to "Dark Star" and "Touch of Gray".
When the Grateful Dead was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Hunter was with the band, becoming the only member of the band not to play such an honor.
Hunter leaves behind his wife Maureen, with whom he married in 1982.
And he also leaves a rich and rich legacy to millions of Grateful Dead devotees who have fallen in love with the band's music for more than five decades.
"He explained the inexplicable and the words hit deep," Hart wrote. "He spun the stories, and he's now climbing a mat in the direction of Jerry."
Justin Lear from CNN contributed to this story.
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