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    New Riders of the Purple Sage Co-Founder John Dawson Dies at 64

    • Posted on Jul 24th 2009 11:45AM by Dan Reilly
    • Comments (59)
    Print |  Email More
    Musician John "Marmaduke" Dawson, who along with Jerry Garcia co-founded country rock group the New Riders of the Purple Sage and wrote songs for the Grateful Dead, died Tuesday in Mexico from stomach cancer. He was 64 years old.

    Born in Detroit, Dawson eventually moved to San Francisco in the mid-'60s and immersed himself in the burgeoning music scene. A guitar player, he joined Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, a band that included future Grateful Dead members Garcia, Bob Weir and Rod "Pigpen" McKernan. As the Dead went on to become a popular psychedelic rock act, Dawson continued writing country songs and in 1969, he founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with David Nelson on electric guitars and Garcia on pedal steel.

    The original New Riders lineup also included Dead bassist Phil Lesh and drummer Mickey Hart, a musical cross-pollination that allowed the bands to tour together cheaply. During that same time, Dawson appeared as a guest musician on three Dead albums, 'Aoxomoxoa,' 'Workingman's Dead' and 'American Beauty,' and co-wrote the song 'Friend of the Devil' with Garcia and lyricist Robert Hunter.

    In the early '70s, Dave Torbert replaced Lesh on bass and Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden took over for Hart, and the band released its self-titled debut in 1971. Their greatest success was the 1973 album, 'The Adventures of Panama Red,' which reached No. 55 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold.

    Despite a rotating lineup, Dawson continued with the New Riders until retiring in 1997. He moved to Mexico to teach English, and when Nelson and Buddy Cage, the pedal steel player who replaced Garcia in late 1971, revived the group in the past few years, Dawson made the occasional guest appearance. On their official Website, the band released a statement saying "His songs inspired us in so many ways. His energy, passion and commitment to the New Riders brought us all so much joy over the years. We can all be thankful that his music and legacy will live on forever."

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    • Filed under: News, R.I.P.
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    Reader Comments(1 of 3)

    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    rrin431633at 7-24-2009

    Wishing you the best in your transition. You are a part of our history.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    steve46062at 7-24-2009

    Henry - written by JOhn Dawson

    EV’RY YEAR ALONG ABOUT THIS TIME IT ALL GOES DRY
    THERE’S NOTHING ROUND FOR LOVE OR MONEY
    THAT’LL GET YOU HIGH
    HENRY GOT PISSED OFF AND SAID HE’D RUN TO MEXICO
    TO SEE IF HE COULD COME BACK HOLDIN’
    TWENTY KEYS OF GOLD

    NOW THE ROAD TO ACAPULCO IS VERY HARD INDEED
    AND IT ISN’T ANY BETTER IF YOU HAVEN’T ANY WEED
    HENRY’S DRIVING HARD AND STRAIGHT
    ON TWISTY MOUNTAIN ROADS
    THERE’S FIFTY PEOPLE WAITING BACK
    AT HOME FOR HENRY’S LOAD

    AND NOW HE’S ROLLIN’ DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
    GOING FAST, FAST, FAST
    AND IF HE BLOWS IT THIS ONE’S GONNA BE HIS LAST
    RUN TO ACAPULCO TO TURN THE GOLDEN KEYS
    HENRY KEEP THE BRAKES ON FOR THIS CORNER IF YOU PLEASE

    vote downvote upReportLowest Ranked

    deadmanvacationat 7-24-2009

    While I mean no disrespect to the man or his family, if his work was as dippy and worthless as that of the Grateful Dead, the musical world has indeed not lost much.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    rikstur1at 7-24-2009

    you obviosly have no clue regarding the grateful dead or the impact they had on music. Another ignorant comment by someone .

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Dennyat 7-24-2009

    get a life !! you must be a michael jackson fan

    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    internetadvocacyat 7-24-2009

    you're an ass

    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    cheppa2000at 7-24-2009

    If "dippy" and "worthless" you mean the Dead had no following and never made a cent off their music, you need to do some research. For years the Dead were the top money makers in music and many hundreds of fans followed them from venue to venue. I'm sure those fans would all disagree with you.

    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    michaellhoxieat 7-24-2009

    F*** you deadmanvacation.Your a d**k.Go listen to your s**t music

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    cawbazawat 7-25-2009

    You are a mentally challenged human!

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    spideylizzieat 7-25-2009

    You're the dip!

    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    Garyat 7-25-2009

    deadmanvacation I was going to call you an idiot but I think ignominy fits you better. RIP Mr.Dawson.Thanks for the great music.

    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    Doug da manat 7-25-2009

    wow...you are either really young...or pretty ignorant...or both.....Dead and New Riders were two of the most creative,inventive, lyrically and musically talented of anything that came out of that era....don't knock it if you obviously haven't tried it

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    stepesclat 7-25-2009

    music,art,wine,making love....we all have our own preferences but don't knock the tastes of others. appreciate ALL that is out there and realize that what you consider "dippy" may really hit home with someone else.....too bad you can't see that.

    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    dstalldat 7-25-2009

    when i read thoughtless comments from an insect like yourself i have no problem with our right to state your opinion. however i wish you and your ilk would offer up an example or two of artists you appreciate and may miss with their death. offensive words take on a greater depth of meaninglessness. much like the ilk on the far right casting dayley dispersions on our president, yet offering zero examples of better ideas or plans for problems they were most resposible for creating. i/e, two wars, disregard for 50 million uninsured or under insurered. financial armageddon and unemployment higher than any deadhead could ever reach!
    john dawson, left a mountain of toe tapping, ear to ear grinn' smile on the face music. everyone born in the late 40's, early 50's and part of the Golden Age of Rock has to appreciate the sheer bliss of a short story put to the spng of Henry and other terrific tunes of the New Riders and of course The Dead.
    So little man, please excercise your freedom of speech and let us all be enightened by the music that is so dear to your heart.
    jdcharger14

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    uuptonogoodeat 7-25-2009

    Your ignorance is not EVEN worth commenting on.

    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    comtoxat 7-24-2009

    Aoxomoxoa was my only Dead album - - what a great album, with former surf mag cartoonist Rick Griffin art on the cover - - how's that for fusion!! RIP

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    llk132at 7-24-2009

    new riders were more like poco - you probably don't know who they were either - any way - new riders music was nothing like the grateful dead - you must be one these sesame generation , american odol , fan nutZ to make a comment as that . at any rate - have a great weekend any-way, ya hear -

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    llk132at 7-24-2009

    except for maybe some of the stuff on the ' american beauty ' and 'working man's dead ' , but....;.....

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    ragosta106at 7-24-2009

    deadmanvacation..that is at the very least a bit harsh and in my biased opinion ignorant. Dawsons work on Friend of the Devil alone is worthy of praise as that is a song that is almost 40 years old and still a great timeless classic covered by many artists including Bob Dylan. You heard of him right? O yea and Dylan was a great friend of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia and attended Jerry's funeral. I think Bob Dylan is a "respectable" American icon. Branford Marsalis, Bruce Hornsby, Clarence Clemens, Neville Brothers have all jammed with and been friends of the Dead's for years. Are they dippy too?? And the Dead also had a top 10 hit too! If its not ur flavor of music or art and u have nothing nice to say....dont say anything RIP Marmaduke

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    br3283at 7-24-2009

    Dylan went to the funeral to pick up Jerry's stash.

    123 Next >

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