Dave Matthews is known not only as a musician, but also as the author of soundtracks for films and TV shows. He showed himself as an actor. An active peacemaker, a supporter of environmental initiatives and just a talented person.
Childhood and youth of Dave Matthews
The birthplace of the musician is the South African city of Johannesburg. The guy's childhood was very stormy - three brothers did not let him get bored.
At the age of 2, the boy ended up in New York, as his father received a prestigious position at IBM Corporation. However, a few years later the family returned to their hometown. There, the future musician went to school.
During the training, many events happened in the life of a teenager. The death of his father was a heavy blow for the guy. On the wave of experiences, he revealed a talent for writing poetry. Passion for music began with the elementary grades, but he did not think about the big stage.
Dave Matthews: moving to the USA
According to local laws, after graduating from high school, it was necessary to serve the prescribed term in the Armed Forces. However, the peace-loving poet did not agree with this state of affairs.
He dreamed of continuing his studies and going to college, which was the reason for moving to the United States. Thus, he was able to avoid being drafted into military service.
After living for some time in New York, the musician moved to his parents' hometown - Charlottesville (Virginia). Here the musical data of a talented teenager began to be fully revealed.
In an effort to realize his ideas, he attracted friends to the work, who became the backbone of the Dave Matthews Band.
Road to fame
In the mid-1990s, the group experimented with styles and trends in music, collecting an unusual set of instruments.
Inner freedom "splashed out" in a combination of genres and techniques, showing an unusual style. It cannot be described in one word or attributed to any of the existing directions. Later critics called this direction a pop-oriented kind of rock.
Before creating his own group, the musician experienced another shock - his own sister died at the hands of a crazy spouse, then the killer committed suicide. The creation of the team was to some extent dedicated to the deceased relative. The musician took over the upbringing of children.
In the initial stages, Dave did not mean the personal performance of his own works. However, friends and colleagues in the workshop convinced the man of the uniqueness of his vocal abilities.
The band began its first performances in simple clubs, and thanks to the originality of the sound, it quickly won its first fans. Very soon, the popularity increased, and tickets for the performance were sold out in the blink of an eye.
The band's first album Under the Table and Dreaming
The first album, Under the Table and Dreaming, was released in 1993 by Bama Rags. By this time, the musician had accumulated a lot of material to create a full-fledged record. Active touring contributed to the resounding success of the album, published in thousands of copies.
Initially, the musician did not plan to go under the wing of major labels. "Fans" were allowed to independently record and distribute live versions of the band's performances.
However, this state of affairs could not last too long. The terms of the contract offered by RCA Records were accepted. The album Under the Table and Dreaming was the start of a big national tour. After him, the musicians first visited Europe with concerts.
The heyday of Dave Matthews' career
In early 2000, the team won the title of the main concert group. Then came the new album Everyday (2001), where Dave picked up an electric guitar for the first time. The experiment was successful, and the record quickly reached the top of the American charts.
Maintaining the spirit of collectivism, the musician invited colleagues to record albums, making the process a “jam” with a unique sound.
In 2002, the band released the Busted Stuff album, which for the first time did not feature any of the guest stars. In support of the record, the band went on another tour. Then came the live recording Live at Folsom Field, recognized as the best in the work of the group in terms of quality.
Dave Matthews: solo project
In 2003, the musician decided to create his own solo project. He felt that some of his compositions should sound a little different.
Inviting session musicians to record, he recorded the album Some Devil. The collection has become a new stage on the path of musical development of the author and performer of his own works.
The solo project is quite different from what Dave Matthews recorded with the band. This is more personal creativity, even sometimes intimate. It cannot be broadcast from the stage, but can only be shared with loved ones.
The multifaceted talent of the musician has never been politicized. However, during the election race of Barack Obama, he gave several concerts in support of an unusual candidate.
