Boyd Tinsley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Boyd Tinsley
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Tinsley playing an electric violin in July 2008
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 16, 1964 Charlottesville, Virginia, United States |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | RCA |
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Boyd Calvin Tinsley, born on May 16, 1964, is an American musician. He plays the violin and mandolin. He is most famous for being a member of the popular band, the Dave Matthews Band.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Boyd Tinsley grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. Music was a big part of his family. His dad directed a choir, and his uncle played bass and trumpet in local bands. Boyd first wanted to play the guitar. However, in middle school, he found out he was really good at the violin.
He learned from Isidor Saslav, who was a lead violinist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. But by age 16, Boyd decided he did not want to play classical music professionally.
Boyd studied history at the University of Virginia. While in college, he started a two-person band called Down Boy Down. After he graduated, the band grew and became The Boyd Tinsley Band. This band became very popular in Charlottesville. They played cover songs and their own music. They also opened for the band Blues Traveler many times.
Music Career
Joining the Dave Matthews Band
In 1991, musician Dave Matthews asked Boyd Tinsley to play violin. He wanted Boyd to play on a song called "Tripping Billies" for his band's first recording. At that time, Boyd still had his own band. He would often join Dave Matthews' concerts after playing his own shows.
Boyd became a full-time member of the Dave Matthews Band in 1992. Dave Matthews later said that adding Boyd was a big moment. He explained that they only wanted a violin on one song. But when Boyd played, everything just clicked. This made the band much stronger.
Boyd Tinsley and Peter Griesar were the first to share songwriting credit with Dave Matthews. They wrote the song "So Much to Say". This song helped the band win its first Grammy. Boyd was also the first person to call the group the 'Dave Matthews Band'. This name was meant to be temporary, but it stayed.
Boyd helped write many other songs for the band. These include "41", "American Baby", and "Funny the Way It Is". He also helped write "Pig", "Proudest Monkey", and "Too Much". Other songs he co-wrote are "Grux", "Shake Me Like a Monkey", and "Lying in the Hands of God". He also contributed to "Why I Am", "Drunken Soldier", "Can't Stop", "Baby Blue", and "Snow Outside". A song he co-wrote, "Break Free", was on the Dave Matthews Band's 2023 album Walk Around the Moon. Boyd played on all 10 of the band's studio albums. He also played on their 14 live albums.
In 2014, Boyd shared that he had developed arthritis in his right hand. He had surgery to fix carpal tunnel syndrome.
In October 2024, the Dave Matthews Band was honored. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Boyd Tinsley was included as an inductee.
Time Away from the Band
On February 3, 2018, Boyd Tinsley announced he was taking a break from the band. He said he needed to focus on his health and family. The band later confirmed that Boyd was no longer a member. They said they were surprised by some claims made against him. They also said they supported his decision to focus on his health.
Other Music and Creative Work
In 2000, Boyd Tinsley played as a guest musician. He appeared on The Getaway People's second album, Turnpike Diaries.
In 2003, Boyd released his own solo album called True Reflections. The album featured a song he had written many years before. Boyd was the main songwriter for this album. True Reflections showed Boyd as a singer-songwriter. It did not feature much violin playing.
On March 20, 2009, Boyd appeared with former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove. This event was at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville. Rita Dove was launching her poetry book Sonata Mulattica. The book was about a 19th-century violin player named George Bridgetower. Boyd Tinsley is mentioned in the first poem of the book. For the event, Boyd created and performed a musical piece. He also read a poem from the book. He talked about his musical life and the role of Black musicians trained in classical music.
Boyd Tinsley was also a producer, writer, and composer for a movie. It was an 80-minute cinematic opera called Faces in the Mirror. He also acted in the film. The movie first showed at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 13, 2012.
In August 2015, Boyd started a new band called Crystal Garden. He formed it with Mycle Wastman, Charlie Csontos, and Matt Frewen. For two years, he looked for musicians to create a modern rock band. Boyd said he wanted to create a young rock band. He wanted it to have the same feeling as rock music from the 1960s and 1970s. He wanted something that rocked from the heart. In their first week of recording, they worked on their first album. The album was called Let The Rocks Cry Out. Boyd produced this album. It was released digitally on March 14, 2017. The physical album came out on April 22, 2017. The band appeared on many morning TV shows.
Personal Life
Boyd Tinsley has two children with his wife, Emily. Their daughter, Abigail, was born in 1995. Their son, Noah, was born in 1999.
Boyd also enjoys tennis. In 2007, he played in a celebrity doubles tennis match. He teamed up with John McEnroe against Pete Sampras and Autria Godfrey. He also recorded a song called "The Ghosts of Wimbledon" for ESPN's coverage of the tennis tournament in 2006. Boyd sponsored the Boyd Tinsley Tennis Program in Charlottesville.
Discography
- See Dave Matthews Band discography for his work with the band.
Solo Album
- True Reflections (2003) – This album reached #3 on the Billboard Internet Sales chart.
See also
In Spanish: Boyd Tinsley para niños
