Keith Nelson is a world-class musician and community leader. For over forty years, he has energized artists and bands, making exceptional music across the globe. Keith loves God. He loves people. He makes unforgettable music.
Keith plays bass for musical “Hitman” David Foster and the NFL Raiders House Band. He is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Musicians’ Union of Las Vegas; and serves his community as Worship Pastor at Anthem Community Church in Henderson, NV.
When Keith was eleven years old, he lived in Madrid, Spain on the Torrejón Air Force Base. His father served in the United States Air Force; and his family traveled frequently, living on base housing for much of his childhood. While in Spain, Keith discovered a love and a talent for playing instruments. Music fascinated him. His first instrument of choice was the tenor saxophone.
In 1973, his father was reassigned to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. Keith’s family moved back to the states where he would continue his music education and eventually launch a lifelong career.
In high school, Keith played the saxophone in concert and jazz bands until Dr. Kay Jensen’s pop group (Sounds of the Sun) needed a bass guitar player. Keith volunteered to fill the musical void, and unbeknownst to him, stepped into his musical destiny. Eldorado High School purchased a Gibson Grabber for him to practice with. He had never played bass before, so the summer before his junior year, he locked himself into his room and practiced until he began to turn into a bass player.
In 1978, Keith attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on a saxophone scholarship. After his sophomore year, he switched his instrument of focus to the electric bass. Keith graduated from UNLV in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory and Composition and a minor in Education.
Fresh out of college, God Almighty blessed Keith with a world tour: playing bass for Disco Queen, Donna Summer. A divine catalyst for his music career, this tour was the beginning of forty-plus years of work in shows, gigs, bands, recordings, tours, television appearances, videos, and countless relationships with the skilled artists who make music. The story is still being written…
