Dave Matthews Band Mourns Death of LeRoi Moore, Sax Player and Founding Member

The Dave Matthews Band has worked together to stay on top and stay popular for many years. One important contribute to the Dave Matthews Band success is LeRoi Moore, the Dave Matthews Band saxophone player and one of the Dave Matthews Band founding members. In June 2008, LeRoi Moore was taken away from the Dave Matthews Band when he suffered an accident in an all-terrain vehicle and had to recover. But on Tuesday, LeRoi Moore lost his battle to recover and the Dave Matthews Band has to now mourn the death of LeRoi Moore at 46.

All that was released was that LeRoi Moore died of "sudden complications" from the injuries he sustained as a result of his crash. It was not specified what those complications were and what specific injuries they came from.

LeRoi Moore suffered his accident on June 30 outside of his farm in Charlottesville, Virginia. Moore was discharged in July and was ready to begin physical rehab from his home in Los Angeles. But on July 17, complications from the injury forced Moore back into the hospital, according to the Dave Matthews Band.

The Dave Matthews Band was in Los Angeles Tuesday to play a concert at the Staples Center when they heard the news. The concert went ahead as scheduled, as it was reported that Dave Matthews paid tribute to Moore during the show. On the band website, Moore's death was categorized as "unexpected."

The Dave Matthews Band was founded in 1991, when Moore helped Matthews, then a bartender, put the band together after Moore heard Matthews's demo tapes. Moore helped recruit his friend Carter Beauford to play drums.

Moore, Matthews and the band soon broke out with the album Under the Table and Dreaming, with the Dave Matthews Band winning a 1997 Grammy for the single So Much To Say. Moore himself was instantly recognizable when he wore his trademark dark sunglasses on stage.

Saxophonist Jeff Coffin, of the band Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, had been filling in for Moore in the Dave Matthews Band summer tour. It is not known how or if the Dave Matthews Band will hire a full time replacement for Moore.

Sources