Dave Matthews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Matthews
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Matthews performing in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David John Matthews |
| Born | January 9, 1967 Johannesburg, South Africa |
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| Years active | 1990s–present |
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David John Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is a famous American musician. He is best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band, also known as DMB.
Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. His family moved between South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States when he was growing up. He began playing the acoustic guitar when he was nine years old.
In 1991, Matthews formed the Dave Matthews Band in Charlottesville, Virginia. For many years, he focused on writing songs and performing with the band. They became famous for their live shows and constant touring. From 2000 to 2009, the band earned more money from touring than any other musical act in North America.
The Dave Matthews Band set a record with their 2012 album, Away from the World. It was their sixth album in a row to debut at number one on the Billboard charts. They broke their own record in 2018 with their seventh number-one album, Come Tomorrow.
Besides his work with the band, Matthews has also performed solo and worked with other artists. He has also acted in several movies and TV shows. He has won two Grammy Awards for his music.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
David John Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 9, 1967. He was the third of four children. When he was two, his family moved to New York. His father was a physicist who worked for IBM.
The family later lived in Cambridge, England, for a year before returning to New York. In 1977, when Matthews was ten, his father passed away from lung cancer. Around this time, his mother took him to his first concert to see the folk singer Pete Seeger. After his father's death, the family moved back to Johannesburg.
In 1980, Matthews became a U.S. citizen. After finishing high school in South Africa in 1985, he faced being forced to join the military, which was called conscription. Matthews was a Quaker and a pacifist, meaning he believes that war and violence are wrong. To avoid military service, he left South Africa.
He moved to New York in 1986 and later joined his mother in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was in Charlottesville that he began to perform music in public. He met another musician, Tim Reynolds, who encouraged him to record his songs and perform on stage. In 1991, Matthews decided to start his own band.
Forming the Dave Matthews Band
While working as a bartender, Matthews wrote his first songs, like "The Song That Jane Likes" and "Recently." In early 1991, he formed the Dave Matthews Band with Carter Beauford, LeRoi Moore, Stefan Lessard, Boyd Tinsley, and Peter Griesar (who left in 1993). The band played its first show on March 14, 1991, at a benefit concert in Charlottesville.
In 1994, a sad event happened in Matthews's family. His older sister, Anne, was killed in South Africa. This deeply affected Matthews and his music. The Dave Matthews Band's album Under the Table and Dreaming, released that year, was dedicated to her. After her death, Dave and his younger sister Jane helped raise Anne's two children.
Music Outside the Band
While his main focus has always been the Dave Matthews Band, Matthews has also worked on other musical projects.
In 2003, he released a solo album called Some Devil. The album was very successful, and its single "Gravedigger" won a Grammy Award in 2004. To support the album, he toured with a group of musicians called Dave Matthews & Friends.
He often works with banjo player Béla Fleck and his band, the Flecktones. Matthews has also performed with country singer Emmylou Harris. They sang a duet called "My Antonia" and appeared on the TV show CMT Crossroads together.
Acting Career
Before becoming a famous musician, Matthews enjoyed acting in local plays. He later appeared in several movies and television shows.
- Where the Red Fern Grows (2003): He played the character Will Coleman.
- Because of Winn-Dixie (2005): He played Otis, a pet store worker who plays the guitar.
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007): He had a small role as a salesman.
- You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008): He appeared in this Adam Sandler movie.
- House (2007): He guest-starred in an episode called "Half-Wit" as a musical genius with a brain injury.
Other Projects
In 1999, Matthews bought a historic property in Virginia called Blenheim Farm. In 2000, he started Blenheim Vineyards on the land, where he grows grapes and produces wine. Some of the wine bottles feature his own drawings on the labels. In 2011, he also helped create another wine brand called Dreaming Tree Wines.
Matthews is also involved in helping others. In 2001, he joined the board of directors for Farm Aid. This organization raises money to help family farmers in the United States. He works alongside other musicians like Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp.
Personal Life and Activism
Dave Matthews married his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Ashley Harper, in 2000. They have twin daughters, born in 2001, and a son, born in 2007. The family lives in Seattle, Washington.
Matthews often uses his fame to support causes he believes in. He has encouraged people to vote and has performed at concerts to support political candidates like Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders. He is also a strong supporter of gay rights.
Awards and Honors
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Dave Matthews Band was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
Grammy Awards
- 1997: Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "So Much to Say" (with Dave Matthews Band).
- 2004: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Gravedigger" (solo).
Discography
This is a list of his major studio albums, both with the Dave Matthews Band and as a solo artist.
Studio Albums
- Under the Table and Dreaming (1994)
- Crash (1996)
- Before These Crowded Streets (1998)
- Everyday (2001)
- Busted Stuff (2002)
- Some Devil (2003) (Solo album)
- Stand Up (2005)
- Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King (2009)
- Away from the World (2012)
- Come Tomorrow (2018)
- Walk Around the Moon (2023)
Live Albums with Tim Reynolds
- Live at Luther College (1999)
- Live at Radio City (2007)
- Live in Las Vegas (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Dave Matthews para niños
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
