When you hear the Dave Matthews Band for the first time, it might take you a while to figure out just what you"re listening to. With a guitar, bass, drums, violin, saxophone and a diverse background musically and culturally, this assortment of musicians has created a unique sound of which thousands of people have become fans.
Dave Matthews was born on January 9th, 1967 in Johannesburg South Africa to John and Val Matthews. He was the first of four children. Since his parents were both American, they decided to move back to America to avoid a civil war that was brewing in the area. They moved to New York, where Matthews and his siblings grew up. Matthews had always loved music from a young age, and listened to music ranging from classical, blues, to rock. These genres would later show up in his music. After Matthews graduated high school, he went to UVA in Virginia. It is here where the beginnings of DMB would take form.
Working as a bartender at a bar called Millers in Charlottesville, Matthews served drinks and was also a regular performer. He would usually perform original compositions, but occasionally covered songs by Bob Dylan or Bob Marley. After writing four songs Matthews decided to put together a demo tape. With only intentions of seeing if he could sell some of his songs, Matthews gathered up four other musicians to record a demo. The first person he approached was Carter Beauford, a local talented drummer who mainly preformed jazz. Next Leroi Moore, a skilled saxophonist who plays tenor and alto, and the flute. Stefan Lessard was only 16 when asked to join, but was one of the best bassist of the area. Boyd Tinsley, a talented violinist, would join Matthews for his demo recording, but would join the band later due to previous engagements. .
The band began to take shape, and according to all the band members, they sounded horrible. Despite being very unorganized, the band stuck together and kept on improving.