Matthews, Dave (1967– )

South African rock vocalist and guitarist. His Dave Matthews Band, formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991, combines rock, pop, and world music influences. He released his first solo album, Some Devil, in 2003. The hit single ‘Gravedigger’ from that album won a Grammy Award in 2004.

The band, known for strong live performances and improvisational jams, became popular among university students around the USA during the early 1990s before releasing its commercial label debut, Under the Table and Dreaming (1994), featuring the hit single ‘What Would You Say’. Other albums include Crash (1996), Before These Crowded Streets (1998), Everyday (2001), and Busted Stuff (2002).

Matthews has been active in anti-bootlegging campaigns, helping the US government crack down on foreign companies bootlegging music in 1997.