NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE
> GTR · VOC
NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (c. 1971–1978; primary lineup: Dave Torbert [gtr, voc]; Buddy Cage [steel gtr]; Skip Battin [b]; Spencer Dryden [drms]) In the wake of The Grateful Dead 's two successful COUNTRY-ROCK albums of the early 1970s, The New Riders of the Purple Sage (taking their name from a Zane Grey dime-store Western novel) were formed as a spin-off band for lead Deadhead Jerry Garcia to pursue his interest in making country music and playing the PEDAL STEEL GUITAR. The original band…