LeRoi Moore
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| LeRoi Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 7, 1961 Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Origin | Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2008 (aged 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Rock, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, arranger |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, flute, penny whistle |
| Years active | 1991-2008 |
| Label(s) | RCA |
| Associated acts | Dave Matthews Band |
| Website | davematthewsband.com |
LeRoi Holloway Moore (September 7, 1961 – August 19, 2008) was an American saxophonist best known as a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. Moore often arranged music for the songs written by frontman Dave Matthews.[1] Moore also co-wrote many of the band's songs, notably "Too Much" and "Stay (Wasting Time)".
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[edit] Biography
Moore was born on September 7, 1961 in Durham, North Carolina to Roxie Holloway Moore and Albert P. Moore.[2] Raised in Virginia, he attended college at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia studying tenor saxophone and later became an accomplished jazz musician in Charlottesville, Virginia playing with artists such as John D'earth and Dawn Thompson. [3] Moore began playing professionally after a brief stay in college. Moore helped found the Charlottesville Swing Orchestra (1982), and the John D'earth Quintet. The latter played at Miller's, a Charlottesville bar, every Thursday night in the late 1980s, where Moore first met Dave Matthews in 1991.[4] In an effort to bring in some instrumental help for some songs Matthews had written, Moore began recording songs with Matthews.[5]
Moore played bass, baritone, tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones, as well as the flute, bass clarinet, the wooden penny whistle, and the oboe. Moore's woodwind technician, David Saull, notes that Moore had "quite an extensive horn collection". As of 2002, it included a Buescher bass saxophone, Selmer Mark VI and Yamaha baritone saxophones, two Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophones, two Selmer Mark VI alto saxophones, a Yamaha soprano, and a Selmer Super-80 Series 3 soprano, according to Saull.[citation needed]
In addition to performing with the Dave Matthews Band, Moore appeared on Code Magenta's self-titled album, and on Soko's album In November Sunlight.
[edit] Death
Moore was injured on June 30, 2008, in an ATV accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia,[6] breaking several ribs and puncturing a lung,[7] and was hospitalized at UVA for several days. His last live performance took place two days prior at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia.[8] Jeff Coffin, the saxophonist from Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, stood in for Moore on subsequent tour dates. July 1, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina marked the first time a band member has missed a show since 1993, two years after the band was formed.[9] Though released several days later, Moore was re-hospitalized in mid-July for complications related to the accident.
Moore was riding the ATV to another part of his farm to check a fence when the vehicle hit a grass covered ditch. This caused the ATV to flip and partially land on Moore. After Moore was released from the University of Virginia Health System, he traveled to his home in Los Angeles, California to start his rehabilitation program. On the morning of August 19th, 2008, Moore was feeling unwell and those who were present could see that his lips were turning blue. It was at this point that he was rushed to the hospital but he died en route. Dave Matthews said in the documentary "The Road to Big Whiskey" that the monitors that were supposed to help LeRoi's punctured lung did not stop a blood clot from forming and traveling up to his carotid artery and suffocating his brain of oxygen.
On August 19, 2008, Moore died of complications from his injuries in the ATV accident. The following statement was released on the band's website:
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.[10]
Dave Matthews paid tribute to Moore on the day of his passing at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, after the band's first song of the performance, "Bartender".[11] "We all had some bad news today," Matthews told the sold-out crowd. "Our good friend LeRoi Moore passed on and gave his ghost up today and we will miss him forever." Fans then shouted Moore's name in remembrance.[12]
On August 27, Moore was buried at Holly Memorial Gardens in Albemarle County. Attendance of the funeral numbered in the thousands, including the rest of the band, Moore's family, and dedicated fans.
Dave Matthews Band released LeRoi Moore's final concert performance as Live Trax Vol. 14. The concert took place in the band's home state of Virginia in Bristow on June 28, 2008. Proceeds from the CD will be donated to local charities that Moore valued.[13]
[edit] Reaction
The reaction from Dave Matthews Band fans and management was tremendous after Moore's death. Almost from the second Moore's death was known, fans started to honor LeRoi in many ways. This included the creation of wristbands, bumper stickers, and memorial recordings honoring his accomplishments and his life. For the final shows of Dave Matthews Band's Summer tour the band played songs that were LeRoi's favorites such as Eh Hee, Proudest Monkey, Bartender, and Loving Wings. Other musicians and artists, such as John Mayer, Kenny Chesney, The Allman Brothers, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Victor Wooten, paid tribute to Moore on their websites and at their shows.
With the release of the band's newest studio album, Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King, the band became more open to talk about Moore's death and their reaction to that day with the media. In the documentary, The Road to Big Whiskey, each band member talked about the day that LeRoi passed and how it has affected them. Drummer Carter Beauford and violinist Boyd Tinsley were said to take Moore's death the hardest.
[edit] Tribute
On September 30, 2008, during a concert in Brazil for the South American Tour, while the Dave Matthews Band was playing the introduction of "#41," Brazilian fans spread white balloons around the concert house in order to pay homage to Moore. At this point, the band almost completely stopped playing and thanked the crowd for this amazing show of thanks to Moore. Violinist Boyd Tinsley was driven to tears by this amazing homage to their fallen brother. As a sort-of thank you to the fans, the band then interpolated "The Girl From Ipanema" into the song.
After Moore's death, Methane Studios, the company that creates most of the band's show posters, paid tribute to Moore on the posters that was sold at the shows. One such poster that was sold at a show on September 7th, 2008, which would have been Moore's 47th birthday, has become a sought after collectors item among fans. Some sales of the poster have been seen as high as 600 dollars on eBay.
Glow sticks were also tossed by the crowd during the Gorge shows in 2008, as well as a tribute slide show video with photos of Moore, played along with the studio version of "#34" during the encore breaks.
At the 51st Grammy Awards, the first one following Moore's death, a video tribute to musicians who had died in the previous year excluded Moore, disappointing and angering fans.[14] Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, responded with a statement noting that Moore was included in a list of deceased musicians in the program for the event, and "unfortunately we are unable to include all of the talented and wonderful people within the allotted timeframe." This created a tremendous outrage from the band's fans and many other music celebrities. [15]
[edit] Equipment
- Selmer Mark VI Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone saxophones
- Selmer Super Balanced Action Alto and Tenor
- Buescher Copper Plated Bass Sax
- Borgani Custom Soprano
- Muramatsu Solid Silver flute
- Abell Wood Flute
- Abell Penny Whistles
- Rico Jazz Select Reeds
- Furman PL-Plus Power Conditioner
- Peterson R450 strobe tuner
- TC Electronic M5000
- Eventide 4500 Ultra-Harmonizer
- Eventide 7500 Ultra-Harmonizer
[edit] External links
- Main article on LeRoi Moore & Dave Matthews, June 2009
- LeRoi Moore, The Influence of a Woodwind Master
- ‘Tortured,’ ’shining’ Moore remembered by Dave
- Retrospective of LeRoi Moore
- Dave Matthews Band Live from The Beacon Theatre on Fuse TV June 1, 2009
[edit] References
- ^ "The Official Dave Matthews Band Website :: Member". Dave Matthews Band. http://dmband.com/member/leroi/. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Obituaries: Charlottesville Daily Progress". Media General, Inc.. http://www.legacy.com/DailyProgress/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=116350026. Retrieved on 2008-08-28.
- ^ http://members.tripod.com/~dancinnanci/leroibio.html
- ^ Delancey, Morgan (2001). The Dave Matthews Band: Step Into the Light. ECW Press. ISBN 1550224433.
- ^ "The Official Dave Matthews Band Website :: History". Dave Matthews Band. http://dmband.com/history/history/. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Dave Matthews Band saxophonist dies". Reuters. 2008-08-19. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080820/en_nm/matthewsband_moore_dc_1.
- ^ "Dave Matthews Band Member Dead". TMZ. http://www.tmz.com/2008/08/19/dave-matthews-band-member-dead/.
- ^ "06.28.08 Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge - Bristow, VA". DMBAlmanac.com. http://dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453056556&tid=98&where=2008. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
- ^ http://www.dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453056557&tid=98&where=2008
- ^ "The Official Dave Matthews Band Website :: News". Dave Matthews Band. 2008-08-19. http://www.dmband.com/news/2008/8. Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
- ^ "Dave Matthews Band’s LeRoi Moore Passes Away". Access Hollywood. 2008-08-20. http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/10937/dave-matthews-bands-leroi-moore-passes-away/. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ Mary Margaret (2008-08-20). "Dave Matthews Pays Tribute to Band Member". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20220249,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ http://www.davematthewsband.com/news/view/7f38d07b7ae4154c28f97fe27fec5669
- ^ "Fans angry over Moore Grammy snub". BBC News. 2009-02-11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7883319.stm. Retrieved on 2009-02-22.
- ^ Alex Shapiro (2009-02-11). "Dave Matthews Band, Recording Academy President Address LeRoi Moore’s Omission From Grammy ‘In Memoriam’ Segment". MTV. http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/02/11/dave-matthews-band-recording-academy-president-address-leroi-moores-omission-from-grammy-in-memoriam-segment/. Retrieved on 2009-02-22.
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