From NRPS.net:
JOHN “MARMADUKE” DAWSON (1945-2009)
John passed away peacefully on July 21, 2009 at the age of 64 in Mexico, where he had retired several years ago. It is with great sadness that we relay this news, and extend our deepest condolences to his family and all his many fans out there.
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.
And here’s a short audio clip of David Nelson telling how Marmaduke got his name and how the New Riders got started in 1969.
Back in the day, despite Bill Graham’s ingenuity, co-billing with GD was a hit-or-miss affair. So, the arrival of NRPS definitively solved that problem. What was perhaps most amazing about them is that they managed, in the proximity of a veritable juggernaut, to maintain and cultivate their own identity. That success was in no small part due to the song-writing skills of Marmaduke. He could pen them all–rockers, ballads, socially-conscious songs. I’m not sure if there was a better example from the era of an old West tale than Dirty Business. And, I’m not sure if anybody, now aside from Hunter, can tell where Garcia and Hunter end, and where Marmaduke begins, on Friend of the Devil.