Pioneering country rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage formed in San
Francisco, California in 1969. Emerging from the local psychedelic scene, the
group was founded by The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and John ‘Marmaduke’
Dawson, both of whom wanted to explore country music and mix it with elements of
rock and folk music. The group’s original lineup featured Garcia on pedal steel
guitar and Dawson on vocals and guitar plus lead guitarist David Nelson, and two
other Grateful Dead members making up the rhythm section: Mickey Hart (drums)
and Phil Lesh (bass). By the time New Ri...