David Nelson was a teenage guitarist on the Palo Alto folk scene when he fell in with Garcia and Hunter in 1961. The two guitarists played together informally, trading songs at parties, hootenannies and coffeehouse open nights, and never really settled on a band name. The duo was less a working act than the start of a partnership. Nelson went on to play in the Hart Valley Drifters, the Wildwood Boys and the Black Mountain Boys with Garcia. Later he co-founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with Garcia and John “Marmaduke” Dawson in 1969, and he played in the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band in the late 1980s.
Jerry Garcia and David Nelson
Years active
21961–1962 Inactive
Based in
On this day
On this month
Browse by year
Jump to a calendar year in the band’s active span.
Photos
Contribute
Know this band? You can share notes about the band or upload a photo. A moderator reviews everything before it appears.
Log in or create an account to contribute.
Members
Lineup timeline
Jerry Garcia
David Nelson
1961
1962
| Person | Role | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Garcia | Vocals, Guitar, Banjo | 1961-06 | 1962-11 |
| David Nelson | Vocals, Guitar | 1961-06 | 1962-11 |
