An American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label to help spread acoustic and instrumental music.

His nickname 'Dawg' was affectionately bestowed by his close friend Jerry Garcia in 1973 (the two met in 1964 at a Bill Monroe show).

In 1967, Grisman was in a psychedelic rock group called Earth Opera with Peter Rowan. In 1973, he joined Rowan, Vassar Clements, Jerry Garcia and John Kahn to form the bluegrass group Old and in the Way.

In 1974, Grisman, Rowan and Richard Greene joined Bill Keith and the late Clarence White in the group Muleskinner. In 1974, Grisman was also in The Great American Music Band. Then in 1975 he started his own band, the David Grisman Quintet (DGQ), which released its first album in 1977.