David John Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is a South African, now naturalized American, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band but he has also worked as a solo artist, and with other musicians such as Tim Reynolds and Trey Anastasio. An occasional actor, he has also appeared in several feature films.

Early life

Dave is the third of four children born to John and Val Matthews. At age two, Dave's family migrated to Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, New York, where his father, a physicist, started working for IBM.

In 1974, the family again moved to Cambridge, England for a year before returning to New York—where his father died from lung cancer in 1977. Nevin Martell argues that Dave's father's death may be an impetus for his "carpe diem" lyrics. The family moved back to Johannesburg, South Africa in 1980.

Upon Dave's graduation from St Stithians College high school, he faced a requirement by the South African government to put in two years of compulsory military service. Coming from a devoutly Quaker family, military service was not an option. Whitefield, Fredricka (2005). "Profiles of U2 and The Dave Matthews Band" CNN.com (accessed May 3, 2006)

Dave moved to New York, then Charlottesville, Virginia in 1986, a town Dave's family had lived in before he was born. It was in Charlottesville that he became part of the local music community. Pursuing various interests, Matthews tried his hand on stage, acting in various local productions. While enthusiastic for music, and a popular bartender at a local watering hole called Miller's, Matthews was intimidated by the quality of the local musicians and largely shied away from performing publicly. But local star (and future collaborator) Tim Reynolds finally goaded Matthews to join him on stage one night, and Matthews stunned the audience with his performance."Driven: Dave Matthews - About the Episode" VH1.com (accessed May 4, 2006) This eventually led to his first professional musical gig at a modern dance performance by the Miki Liszt Dance Company, singing "Sensitive Feelings," composed by John D'earth and Dawn Thompson. In 1990 he hatched the idea to form his own band.

In 1994, Dave's older sister, Anne, who lived in South Africa, was murdered by her husband who subsequently committed suicide on or around January 27, 1994. - an event that has had a drastic effect on Dave's outlook on life. Immediately following her death, Dave was forced to return to the United States due to unbreakable professional obligations. On January 29, 1994, he performed with Tim Reynolds at Wetlands in New York where he dedicated that performance "to her memory". His later album "Under the Table and Dreaming" would be dedicated to her.Anne is survived by her two children who, upon Anne's death, traveled to America, where Dave and his younger sister Jane took responsibility for their upbringing. They continue to raise them to this day.