Dave Matthews
| Dave Matthews | |
|---|---|
Matthews at Virginia Tech in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David John Matthews |
| Born |
January 9, 1967 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Origin | Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, alternative rock, blues rock, roots rock, adult contemporary |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, musician, record label owner |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | RCA, Sony |
| Associated acts | Dave Matthews Band, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Dave Matthews & Friends, The Nauts, Trey Anastasio |
| Website | davematthewsband |
David John "Dave" Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is a South African-born American singer-songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. Matthews was born in Johannesburg, and lived in both South Africa and the United States while growing up. Matthews mainly plays acoustic guitar, which he started playing at the age of nine.
From 1991 to 2003, Matthews predominantly focused on songwriting and performing with the Dave Matthews Band, which he started in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. Since then, he has also done various solo performances and produced other records. During the period from 2000 to 2010, his band sold more tickets and earned more money than any other act in North America. The band's most recent album, Away from the World, released in 2012, made them the only group to have six consecutive studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard charts.
In addition to music, Matthews has had multiple acting roles. He has also won 2 Grammy Awards: one in 1997 for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group – "So Much to Say" and one in 2004 for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance – "Gravedigger".
David John Matthews was born on January 9, 1967 in Johannesburg, the third of four children of parents John and Valerie Matthews. At the age of two years, Matthews moved with his family to Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, New York, where his father, a physicist, started working for IBM.
In 1974, the Matthews family 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. At some point while residing in New York, Matthews attended his first concert, when his mother took him to a performance by Pete Seeger. The family returned to Johannesburg in 1977.
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