Dave Matthews Biography

Fast Facts

• Grew up in South Africa, New York and Virginia
• Began playing guitar at age 9
• At age 19, began working as a clerk at IBM in the same research center where his father had been employed
• After moving to Charlottesville, VA, he performed as an amateur actor in several regional productions
• Formed his eponymous band in 1991 in Charlottesville, VA, and the group made its first appearance on Earth Day of that year
• Released debut album Remember Two Things in 1993
• In 1996, won his first Grammy for his vocal performance on "So Much to Say
• " In January 1997, his band played at President Bill Clinton's inauguration after his reelection
• Established Bama Works Fund in 1999 to support charitable programs in Charlottesville, VA
• In 2003, released his first solo album Some Devil, which contained the Grammy-winning single "Gravedigger," and made his big-screen acting debut in Where the Red Fern Grows
• In 2004, formed Bama Works Village Recovery Fund to aid Asian tsunami victims
• The band received the Chairman's Award at the 2004 NAACP Image Awards for its devotion to social and environmental causes