David Nelson(IX)
Although he started his musical career playing folk and bluegrass music
(most notably as a member of The Wildwood Boys with the late Jerry
Garcia) David Nelson is probably best known as one of the original
members of psychedelic country rock band, The New Riders of the Purple
Sage. After playing lead guitar with the New Riders from the late
sixties until the early 1980s, David left the band to pursue other
musical opportunities which included a stint on Broadway as a member of
the legendary Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and some time touring with Al
Rapone and the Zydeco Express. In the mid 1990s, David formed his own
group, the critically acclaimed David Nelson Band (aka DNB). In 2005,
David re-formed The New Riders of the Purple Sage and is enjoying a
resurgence in popularity. The New Riders continue to turn down more
bookings than they can accept and most of their shows are sold out
ahead of time. In addition to NRPS, David still performs with his own
group under the new banner, David Nelson & Friends as well as with The
Papermill Creek Rounders, a bluegrass group he co-founded with his long
time friend, Lowell "Banana" Levenger (formerly of The
Youngbloods).