Dave+Matthews

David J. Matthews is a musician, singer, and songwriter most commonly known for his role as the lead singer and guitarist of The Dave Matthews Band. Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on January 9, 1967. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

Dave Matthews is best known for his music career with the Dave Matthews Band. For 10 years (2000-2010), the Dave Matthews Band had made more money and sold the most tickets of any performer in North America. The band has won several awards: one Grammy, four My VH1 Music Awards, and an NAACP Image Award. In more recent years, Matthews has been working away from the band as well as with the band. In 2003 he released his first solo album “//Some Devil//.” This album’s single, “//Gravedigger,//” won a 2004 Grammy for best male rock vocal performance.

Matthews, at the age of 18, like many other South African men of his age during this time were faced with a hard decision to make. Because of the South African government’s law on mandatory military service, many men either joined the military, left South Africa, or stayed hidden in the country. Matthews chose to leave the country and go to the United States. This ties into our trip, because during this time the policy of conscription was disliked by many people. These people began the organization “The End Conscription Campaign.” In August of 1988 this organization was banned by the government. In my opinion, this was a show of the power that the government had at that time, especially apartheid.