How Dave Matthews Achieved a Net Worth of $300 Million
Dave Matthews is a singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record label owner who began his career in 1991. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the Dave Matthews Band, also known as DMB. In addition to performing with his band, Matthews has released music as a solo artist and produced records for other artists through his record label. Due to his successful music career, Dave Matthews’ net worth is $300 million, and here is how he accrued his wealth.
Matthews’ Early Life
Dave Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on January 9, 1967. When he was two, Matthews’ family moved to Yorktown Heights, New York. They then moved to Cambridge in England for a brief period before returning to New York and then back to Johannesburg. Although Dave Matthews began playing the guitar at the age of nine, he had no plans to become a musician.
Matthews attended Damelin College high school, and he should then have been conscripted into the South African military, but Matthews moved to New York to avoid service. The musician then moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he became part of the music community. It was then that he began performing publicly for the first time.
He then met Tim Reynolds through a friend. Reynolds was a local star, and he later collaborated with Matthews. It was Reynolds who first suggested to Matthews that he record some of his own music after the two had performed together. It led to Matthews having his first professional gig in Charlottesville at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville. Around the same time, Matthews was bartending in Charlottesville.
His Career with the Dave Matthews Band
Matthew first started planning to start his own band in 1991, after he had written several songs. These included ‘Recently,’ ‘That Song That Jane Likes,’ and ‘I’ll Back You Up.’ He then formed the band with Boyd Tinsley, Stefan Lessard, LeRoi Moore, Carter Beauford, and Peter Grieser.
The latter left the band in 1993. From the early 90s to 2003, Matthews predominantly focuses on writing songs for and performing with his band. Some of Matthews’ songs that he released with his band were inspired by the death of his sister, who was murdered in 1994. Following his sister’s death, Matthews’ brother-in-law committed suicide. Matthews also dedicated some of his live performances to his sister.
Matthews’ Other Work in the Music Industry
Although Matthews mainly focused on his work with the Dave Matthews Band until 2003, the singer did occasionally perform and record as a solo artist. However, he did not release his solo album ‘Some Devil’ until 2003, and it went Platinum. One of the singles from the album was ‘Gravedigger,’ which won a Grammy Award the following year.
To support the release of the album, Matthews toured with some musician friends under the name ‘Dave Matthews and friends.’ Matthew often collaborates with Bela Fleck, the frontman of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and he has appeared as a guest vocalist on some of the band’s music. Similarly, Fleck and his band’s bassist, Victor Wooten, have performed and recorded with the Dave Matthews Band.
In 2000, Matthews dueted with Emmylou Harris on the track ‘My Antonia’ for her album ‘Red Dirt Girl.’ Harris and Matthews performed the folk song ‘Long Black Veil’ and Matthews’ song ‘Gravedigger’ on the musical television show ‘CMT Crossroads.’ Matthew also formed the band called The Nauts with Jakob Dylan, Brady Blade, and Charlie Sexton. However, they have not yet released an album together.
His Acting Career
Prior to becoming a musician, Dave Matthews did some acting work, including appearing in several stage productions. In the 2000s, he resumed his acting career, first appearing in a stage adaptation of the novel ‘Where the Red Fern Grows.’ Matthews went on to land some small movie roles.
Some of the movies in which he has appeared include ‘Because of Winn Dixie,’ ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,’ and ‘You Don’t Mess with Zohan.’ Dave Matthews then landed some more significant roles from the late 2000s onwards. These included ‘Lake City,’ ‘The Other Side,’ and ‘Just Go With It’. Additionally, Matthews has appeared in several television series, including the medical drama series’ House,’ for which he also played music for one episode. Matthews was a cast member of the music documentary series ‘Before the Music Dies.’
Matthews’ Other Ventures
Although Matthews’ main career was music, he has also made money from other ventures. One such venture is Blenheim Vineyards. Matthews bought Blenheim Farm in 1999. It consisted of 10 acres of land in Albemarle County in Virginia. He had bought the land to preserve its historical significance but then decided to use the land to plant grapes.
He founded his vineyard company in 2000, and it now produces approximately 5,500 cases of wine per year. His interest in winemaking also led to Matthews collaborating with Sean McKenzie and Steve Reeder, both winemakers, to create Dreaming Tree Wines in 20111. Another of Matthews’s ventures is as a producer. The musician was credited as a producer of the documentary ‘Last Call at the Oasis,’ which was directed by Jessica Yu.
Dave Matthews’ Net Worth
According to Wealthy Gorilla, Dave Matthews’ net worth is estimated at $300 million. He has made his money through his work in various aspects of the music industry, including releasing music with the Dave Matthews Band and producing music. However, Matthews has also made some money from other business ventures, including his vineyard and his work as an actor.
Matthews’ Personal Life
In his personal life, Dave Matthews married his long-time girlfriend, Jennifer Ashley Harper, in 2000. The couple’s twin daughters, Grace Anne and Stella Busina were born in 2001. They also have a son, August Oliver, who was born in 2007. The family currently lives in Seattle, Washington.
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