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).