THE NEW RIDERS of the PURPLE SAGE-Greatest Fan of the Greatest Band

Friday, July 24, 2009

New Riders Co-Founder & Mainstay John "Marmaduke" Dawson Passes Away

John "Marmaduke" Dawson, co-founder of the New Riders of the Purple Sage, has passed away at the age of 64. Dawson died on Tuesday in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where he has been living for several years since retiring.

Dawson occasionally played in San Francisco folk clubs during the early-60's with artists like Jerry Garcia, who would eventually co-found the New Riders. Along with folk music, Dawson was a big fan of the Bakersfield Sound and singers Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and would try to expose his fellow musicians to the up-and-coming music.

After going to college, Dawson returned to San Francisco where he fell in with what had become the musicians in the Grateful Dead. After listening to their sound, he started working on mixing the psychedelia with his favorite urban country. The style fit well with the emerging country-rock groups and, combined with Garcia's new found love of the pedal steel guitar, the two formed a duo that played San Francisco area clubs.

In mid-1969, Dawson and Garcia decided to expand into a full group, bringing in David Nelson, with whom they had both played, Mickey Hart and Robert Hunter who was eventually replaced by Phil Lesh.

Their self-titled debut album was released in late 1971, with all songs written by Dawson, to good reviews and moderate sales. Later in the year, Garcia left to concentrate on other projects and Buddy Cage was brought in to record their second album, Powerglide.

In 1973, the group peaked with their fourth album, The Adventures of Panama Red, which reached number 55 in the U.S. Not as high charting as their first two albums, the Norbert Putnam produced LP included what would become their most recognized song, Panama Red, along with Lonesome L.A. Cowboy and Kick in the Head.

Over the next 24 years, the group would go through numerous personel changes; however, Dawson would stay with them right up until the group retired in 1997. A new version of the group formed in 2005 but, by that time, Dawson had no interest in returning to the rock life.

Former bandmate Buddy Cage wrote the following for Relix:

Henry and Panama Red were one and the same person. My old pal of 39 years, John "Marmaduke" Dawson, the Last Lonely Eagle has done picked up his hat and coat and gone home. The gifted song-writer and creator of New Riders of the Purple Sage, passed away peacefully this morning near his home in Mexico. Muchos gracias, John for all the wonderful, wonderful songs that brought us together and keep NRPS alive and well today! You are SO missed...