News
Send Us Feedback
most

POPULAR

stories
most

RECENT

comments
News Video

Find, view and share videos about celebrities and entertainment from around the Web.
See Videos »

DMB Sax Player LeRoi Moore Dies

AP
posted: 105 DAYS 15 HOURS AGO
comments: 18
filed under: Music News, Obits
PrintShare
Text SizeAAA
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 20) - LeRoi Moore, the versatile saxophonist whose signature staccato fused jazz and funk overtones onto the eclectic sound of the Dave Matthews Band, died Tuesday of complications from injuries he suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident, the band said. He was 46.
Moore died at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was admitted with complications that arose weeks after the June 30 wreck, according to a statement on the band's Web site. It did not specify what led to his death, and nursing supervisor Galina Shinder said the hospital could not release details.

Recently Departed Music Stars

    Norman Whitfield, Sept. 16: The Motown tunesmith responsible for anthems like 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' 'Car Wash' and 'War' died shortly after awakening from a diabetes-related coma. He was 67.

    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Richard Wright, Sept. 15: With Pink Floyd, he unleashed new sounds from his collection of synths and organs that gave the band its signature psychedelic sheen. Wright, who also wrote mammoth cuts like "Us and Them" for the band, died following a battle with cancer. He was 65.

    AP

    Jerry Reed, Sept. 2: He started off as a guitarist, eventually had a string of country hits and also made the jump to the big screen with successful turns in Burt Reynolds films like 'Smokey and the Bandit' and 'Gator.' Reed lost a battle to emphysema at 71.

    Doug McKenzie, Getty Images

    Steve Foley, Aug. 23: The bespeckled drummer from Minneapolis will always be known as the replacement Replacement for his brief tenure after Chris Mars left the beloved band in 1990. His death at 49 is being attributed to an accidental prescription drug overdose. He appeared in one video for the band, the visually quirky 'When It Began,' pictured.

    YouTube / Rhino Records

    LeRoi Moore, Aug. 19: As a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, Moore's saxaphone playing helped propel the band's sound to major success. He was 46.

    AP

    Pervis Jackson, Aug. 18: Jackson provided the deep bass that was the foundation of The Spinners' many soul hits. He lost his battle with brain and liver cancer at age 70.

    Hulton Archive / Getty Images

    Isaac Hayes, Aug. 10: He branched out from his early start in soul music to help influence the sound of funk and disco. He also won an Oscar for his iconic Number One hit 'Theme From Shaft.' Hayes was 65.

    Getty Images

    Robert Hazard, Aug. 5: He wrote the Cyndi Lauper classic, 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,' and later had a hit with 'Escalator of Life' before revving up country outfit The Hombres. The Philly icon died after a brief illness. He was 59.

    Jonathan Wilson, Philadelphia Inquirer / MCT

    Esbjorn Svensson, June 14: The visionary Swedish pianist, beloved by fans worldwide for his efforts to marry rock-inspired electronics with traditional jazz, died while scuba diving near Stockholm. He was 44. His trio, E.S.T., had just completed their 12th album.

    Fabrice Coffrini, Keystone / AP

    Jerry Wexler, Aug. 15: Quite literally the father of "rhythm and blues" -- he coined the term and produced the genres finest talents like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Wilson Pickett while holding court at Atlantic Records in the 1950s and 1960s. He was 91.

    DP / AP

On June 30, Moore crashed his ATV on his farm outside Charlottesville, Va., but was discharged and returned to his Los Angeles home to begin physical therapy. Complications forced him back to the hospital on July 17, the band said.
The band went on with its show Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where lead singer Dave Matthews dedicated the entire show to Moore.
"It's always easier to leave than be left," Matthews told the crowd, according to Ambrosia Healy, the band's publicist. "We appreciate you all being here."
Saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who played with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, had been sitting in for Moore during the band's summer tour.
Matthews on Leroy Last Night

Moore Solo From 2003


inputstring
channel: "music" dave matthews band
width
400
imageoverride
http://www.aolcdn.com/entnews/entnews_dmb
titleoverride
Dave Matthews Band Videos
Moore, who wore dark sunglasses at the bands' many live concerts, had classical training but said jazz was his main musical influence, according to a biography on the band's Web site.
"But at this stage I don't really consider myself a jazz musician," Moore said in the biography. Playing with the Dave Matthews Band was "almost better than a jazz gig," he said. "I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas."
Lead singer Dave Matthews credited Moore with arranging many of his songs, which combine Cajun fiddle-playing, African-influenced rhythms and Matthews' playful but haunting voice.
The band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, Va., when Matthews was working as a bartender. He gave a demo tape of his songs to Moore, who liked what he heard and recruited his friend and fellow jazzman Carter Beauford to play drums, and other musicians.
The group broke out of the local music scene with the album "Under the Table and Dreaming." The band won a Grammy Award in 1997 for its hit song "So Much to Say" off its second album "Crash." Other hits include "What Would You Say," "Crash Into Me" and "Satellite."
Fans who attended Tuesday's concert expressed sadness over Moore's death and concern about the band's future without him. "LeRoi was just super important to the band," Shawn Harrington said before the concert. "That's how the band came to be."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-08-20 06:32:41
GOOD READ?
238 votes
(18)
Sort by:

1 - 10

Jmadden13

05:29 PMAug 20 2008

unreal... rip. lets just keep the music going.

AVG RATING:
(1)

LEGACYAEPi

05:10 PMAug 20 2008

RIP Roi....you will live forever through the love you gave us with your music.

AVG RATING:
(1)

Ginabutterfly75

04:23 PMAug 20 2008

I am so sad to hear of such a loss. He was a truly talented musician. My condolences go out to his family and friends & his band family. His music lives on!

AVG RATING:
(0)

AZTEC 8888

01:38 PMAug 20 2008

I saw the Dave Matthews band when they played in Sacramento. I think they are an awesome band and Moore was astounding! I am always supper sad when a creative person passes away like this because I know he still had more to give us. My sympathies to his family, friends, and the members of the band. This was a tragic loss. I will be under the table and dreaming of the music lost.

AVG RATING:
(3)

gjohnson507

12:38 PMAug 20 2008

most Poeple die on ATVs because one they are drinking while having fun and also they were never taught by thier parents how to drive smart. ATVs arent the problem its the people driving them. Although we all love LeRoi ATV dont hurt ppl unless they are abused or someone else did something stupid, so more than likely someone wasnt playing it safe when LeRoi got hurt, its so sad:( i missed you this summer and youll always be missed:( RIP LeRoi Moore

AVG RATING:
(0)

RageGurl83

12:12 PMAug 20 2008

ATV's really need to be banned from recreational use. Do you have any idea how many people, most of them kids, die every month from ATV accidents? It's ridiculous. There goes another talented musician to something stupid.

AVG RATING:
(0)

CLReichert05

12:03 PMAug 20 2008

god bless you leroi. such a talented guy. the show was a great dedication to him last night.

AVG RATING:
(0)

Maryh355

11:10 AMAug 20 2008

That is just awful!! I always enjoyed DMB shows, have seen around 4........Wonder if he had sepsis........an infection from the hosoital care, did he have surgeries, whatever?? WOW, at 48..............

AVG RATING:
(0)

Philoharris

11:08 AMAug 20 2008

Today is my birtday,this is something i did not want to here,my heart has sank to the bottom......so sad,heaven just got a great gift,thanks for the sounds you played to my mind,god bless you will be missed.

AVG RATING:
(1)

Philoharris

10:59 AMAug 20 2008

With tears in my eyes and a very sad heart,i say thank you my friend,My heart goes out to the family and friends,and to the band for their great loss,,god speed,,

AVG RATING:
(2)

1 - 10 of 18

{ JOIN the CONVERSATION }

YOU'LL BE ASKED TO REGISTER OR LOGIN BEFORE POSTING A COMMENT.