David Nelson (musician)
David Nelson (born June 12, 1943 ) is an American rock musician , singer and guitarist , best known as a member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage and later as the frontman of the David Nelson Band.
Nelson's music career began in the early 1960s when he played in various bands in the San Francisco folk scene , including with Jerry García and Robert Hunter in the Wildwood Boys and Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. In 1969 and '70 he played as a guest musician on the Grateful Dead classics Aoxomoxoa , American Beauty and Workingman's Dead and founded the country rock band The New Riders of the Purple Sage with Garcia and John Dawson . Nelson played on each of their albums until 1982, and in 1973 even took the lead vocals on Panama Red , the New Riders' biggest hit. On the side, he had joined Frank Wakefield's bluegrass band The Good Old Boys in the 1970s , with whom he recorded the album Pistol Packin 'Mama , produced by Jerry Garcia in 1976 .
In the 80s Nelson pursued bluegrass projects with Frank Wakefield again and toured with several Zydeco bands. In 1987 he accompanied Jerry Garcia on his live album Almost Acoustic . Together with Tom Constanten , Nelson appeared on stage and on record in 1993 with the Grateful Dead-related Dead Ringers.
In 1995 Nelson finally founded his own band, the David Nelson Band, which continues touring tirelessly with its country and folk rock and three albums ( Limited Edition , 1995; Keeper of the Key , 1996; Visions under the Moon , 1999) and a video ( High Adventures in Japan , 2000).
In addition to his activities with the David Nelson Band, Nelson took part in an extensive revival tour of the New Riders of the Purple Sage in 2005/2006 .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nelson, David |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 12, 1943 |