Dave Matthews Biography - Artistopia Music

David John Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is a South African-American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band, but he has also worked as a solo artist, and with other musicians such as Tim Reynolds and Trey Anastasio


	DMB Live Trax Vol. 13 Dave Matthews Sale $14.99

	The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray] Sale $23.99

	Live at Piedmont Park Dave Matthews Band Sale $16.99

	Day & Age The Killers Sale $11.49

	Sugar Mountain-Live At Canterbury House 1968 (CD/DVD-A) Neil Young Sale $14.99

	Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall [Blu-ray] Sale $19.99

. An occasional actor, he has also appeared in several feature films.

Biography

Early life

Matthews is the third of four children born to John and Valerie Matthews. At age two, Matthews' family migrated to Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, New York, where his father, a physicist, started working for IBM.

In 1974, the family again moved to Cambridge, England, for a year before returning to New York, where his father died from lung cancer in 1977. Biographer Nevin Martell argues that Dave's father's death may be an impetus for his "carpe diem" lyrics. The family moved back to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1980.
Upon Matthews' graduation from St Stithians College high school, he was faced with conscription into the South African military just as civil disobedience to the practice was becoming widespread. A Quaker (and consequently pacifist), Matthews left South Africa to avoid service.Whitefield, Fredricka (2005). "Profiles of U2 and The Dave Matthews Band" CNN.com (accessed May 3, 2006)

Matthews moved to New York,In 1994, Matthews' older sister, Anne, who lived in South Africa, was murdered by her husband, who subsequently committed suicide, on or around January 27 of that year.[1]Dave Matthews Band: Music for the People - Retrieved on February 8, 2008. The event had a drastic effect on Matthews' outlook on life. Immediately following her death, Matthews was forced to return to the United States from South Africa, due to professional obligations.

Formation of Dave Matthews Band

Matthews had originally envisioned someone else singing his songs, but instead decided to use his own vocals.

Music

Unreferencedsection Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds during an acoustic show in Amherst, MA in 2007.Matthews sang on the track "Sing Along" on Blue Man Group's second album The Complex in 2003. Later that year he released a solo album, "Some Devil", which went platinum; its single, "Gravedigger", won a Grammy Award in 2004. To support the album, Matthews toured with a group of musicians (most of whom performed on "Some Devil") under the name Dave Matthews & Friends.

Matthews is also a close friend of Bela Fleck. Matthews appears as a guest vocalist on Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' 1998 release Left of Cool and both Fleck and Flecktones bassist Victor Wooten have made numerous appearances both live and studio with DMB. The Flecktones also opened for DMB on several tours.

Acting

Before he was known as a musician, Matthews was an amateur actor, appearing onstage in several productions at Charlottesville's Offstage Theatre and Live Arts theater
In 2007, Matthews guest starred in the FOX drama series House in the episode "Half-Wit." He played a piano-playing musical savant who ended up having half of his brain removed in order to recover from his mental retardation, but at the expense of his musical abilities. Matthews had a piano double for the complex pieces but played the simpler pieces himself.

Business

Since 2000, Matthews has been one of the board members of Farm Aid along with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young. Matthews owns 542 hectares (1,340 acres) of farmland near Scottsville, Virginia named Maple Hill Farm, where he grows organic vegetables, flowers, and herbs through a community-supported agriculture program. He also has a 1.6 hectare (4 acre) wine-growing operation, Blenheim Vineyards, which utilizes gravity flow and other gentle winemaking techniques.Welcome to Blenheim Vineyards!

Matthews is one of the principles of ATO Records, founded in 2000.

Personal life

Matthews married his long time girlfriend, Ashley Harper, a naturopathic doctor, on August 10, 2000. The couple have twin daughters, Stella Busina and Grace Anne, born on August 15, 2001, and a son, August Oliver, born on June 19, 2007. They currently reside in Seattle, Washington.

Charity

Matthews has been active in charity work, both on his own and with his bandmates. He has performed benefit concerts for music education, Hurricane Katrina victims,url=www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2005/09/dave-matthews-band-to-perform-hurricane-katrina-be.html farmers, and victims of the Virginia Tech shooting.[4] A Concert For Virginia Tech. Retrieved on August 1, 2007. The band's charitable organization, the Bama Works Fund is administered by the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, benefiting charitable programs in the region.

In 2008 he participated in a music album called Songs for Tibet, together with a number of other celebrities as an initiative to support Tibet and Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.

Politics

Matthews openly supported the 2008 presidential campaign for Barack Obama, both in the primaries and in the general election. On April 6, 2008, he and Tim Reynolds played a concert titled
"Change Rocks" to encourage students in Indiana to register to vote. The tickets were distributed by the Obama campaign. Even though he was recently bereaved by the loss of band co-founder and saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, he and Tim Reynolds played for DNC delegates on Sunday, August 24 at Red Rocks. Matthews has often supported environmental initiatives, such as biofuel availability and the fight against global climate change.

Past and present equipment

Refimprove

Martin DM3MD Steel 6-String Acoustic Guitar serial numbers 1, 2 and 3
Martin HD-28V Steel 6-String Acoustic Guitar
Martin D-35 Steel 6-String Acoustic Guitar
Martin D12-28 Steel 12-String Acoustic Guitar
Taylor 914C Steel 6-String Acoustic Guitartitle=Gear
Taylor 714 Steel 6-String Acoustic Guitar
Taylor W65 Steel 12-String Acoustic Guitar
Taylor Custom Baritone Jumbo Guitar (Based on LKSM6)
Yamaha Country Jumbo CJ-818SB 6 String Guitar
Gibson J-150 6 String Guitar
Gibson Chet Atkins SST Solid Body Acoustic Guitar (not used since 2000)
Lakewood M-32 Steel 6-String Acoustic Guitar
Veillette Gryphon
Veillette Baritone 12-String
Modulus Genesis Three SH
Jerry Jones Baritone Electric Guitar
Santa Cruz Bob Brozman Baritone
Dunlop Tortex .6mm Guitar Picks
D'Addario EXP17 Strings (6-String)
D'Addario EJ39 Strings (12-String)
Matchless DC-30 Amplifier
Shure UHF Wireless System
Shure UHE Antenna Distro
UltraSound/BSS Audio Soundweb Custom Switcher
Korg DTR-1 Digital Tuner
Taylor GS8 (three songs on radio city album)

Taylor T5
Taylor 854ce 12-string Acoustic Guitar

Discography

Studio albums

Some Devil (2003)
Imagine We Were (2005) – as Tribe of Heaven; originally recorded in 1989

Live albums

Live at Luther College (1999) – with Tim Reynolds
Live at Radio City (2007) – with Tim Reynolds

Singles

"Gravedigger (2003)
"Save Me" (2003)
"Oh" (2004)
"Eh Hee" (2007 - iTunes exclusive)

Collaborations

"I'm Alive" (featuring Dave Matthews) (2008) off the Kenny Chesney album Lucky Old Sun
"Tremendous Brunettes" (featuring Dave Matthews) (2007) off the Mike Doughty album Haughty Melodic
"Sing Along" (featuring Dave Matthews) (2003) off the Blue Man Group album The Complex with music video

Awards

Grammys

1997: Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group – "So Much to Say", Dave Matthews Band
2004: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance – "Gravedigger", Dave Matthews

ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

Most Performed Song from a Motion Picture – "Where Are You Going" (for Mr. Deeds)

Honorary degrees

Dave Matthews was awarded D.Ma honoris causa by Haverford College on May 15, 2005, and was invited to speak at Commencement.

Guitar

2002: Orville Gibson Award for Best Acoustic Guitarist

External Links
AskMen.com - Dave Matthews
Copyright Citations
This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Dave Matthews

Industry Music Artists

Dave Matthews