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Dave Torbert

1948 – 1982

American musician

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About Dave Torbert

Lived 1948 – 1982 (aged 34). Dave Torbert was an American musician.

David Edwin Torbert (June 7, 1948 – December 7, 1982) was a Bay Area musician, best known for his associations with the Grateful Dead and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. He played bass for the latter group, replacing Phil Lesh during the sessions for their first album. He also played on "Box of Rain", a song from American Beauty, and on "Greatest Story Ever Told" from Bob Weir's solo album Ace. Additionally, he was a founding member, with Matthew Kelly, of the band Kingfish. Torbert died of a heart attack in 1982. Among the songs that Torbert wrote and sang lead with the New Riders were "California Day", "Contract", "Gypsy Cowboy", "Groupie", "On My Way Back Home", "It's Alright with Me", "Important Exportin' Man", and "Thank the Day".

He died of a heart attack at the age of 34.

Discography Horses – Horses (1969) American Beauty – Grateful Dead (1970) New Riders of the Purple Sage – New Riders of the Purple Sage (1971) Powerglide – New Riders of the Purple Sage (1972) Ace – Bob Weir (1972) Gypsy Cowboy – New Riders of the Purple Sage (1972) The Adventures of Panama Red – New Riders of the Purple Sage (1973) Home, Home on the Road – New Riders of the Purple Sage (1974) Tiger Rose – Robert Hunter (1975) Kingfish – Kingfish (1976) Live 'n' Kickin' – Kingfish (1977) Trident – Kingfish (1978) Kingfish – Kingfish (1985) Vintage NRPS – New Riders of the Purple Sage (1986) Kingfish in Concert: King Biscuit Flower Hour – Kingfish (1996) Worcester, MA, 4/4/73 – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2003) Boston Music Hall, 12/5/72 – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2003) Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72 – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2004) S.U.N.Y., Stonybrook, NY, 3/17/73 – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2007) Glendale Train – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2013) Thanksgiving in New York City – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2019) Bear's Sonic Journals: Dawn of the New Riders of the Purple Sage – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2020) Lyceum '72 – New Riders of the Purple Sage (2022)

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
David Edwin Torbert

People in Dave Torbert's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dave Torbert's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dave Torbert?

American musician (1948–1982)

When was Dave Torbert born?

Dave Torbert was born on 7 June 1948.

When did Dave Torbert die?

Dave Torbert died on 7 December 1982.

What was Dave Torbert's occupation?

Dave Torbert was a musician.

What nationality was Dave Torbert?

Dave Torbert was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dave Torbert

· Wikidata: Q3017275

· DBpedia: Dave Torbert

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dave Torbert. https://biography.guide/dave-torbert/

MLA: "Dave Torbert." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dave-torbert/.

Chicago: "Dave Torbert." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dave-torbert/.

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