I woke up this morning to the sad news that LeRoi Moore, saxaphonist and one of the founding members of the Dave Matthews Band, passed away last night. He was 46 years young.

I’ve been a huge fan of DMB for many years. They were my musical obsession before Taylor Hicks came along and pushed them into second place. I still often find myself reaching for their music when my soul craves the unique kind of healing only their words and music can bring me.

The underlying thread running through every song in their catalogue is the lesson of discovering the joys in life and celebrating all its aspects, both painful and wonderful. It is a tribute to Roi that Dave and the boys didn’t cancel their show at the Staples Center last night, but instead used the opportunity to honor his life and his many accomplishments.

This message was posted at The Warehouse, the DMB’s official website, early this morning:

As we sat this afternoon contemplating the loss of our brother, we wondered how we could possibly do a show today. Dave put it into perspective stating, “There’s no place I’d rather be than here with you guys right now.” We cherish special memories of our lost friend. Tonight, Dave told a story about LeRoi at a bar in Virginia where the cash register was near the stage and LeRoi leaned on the register because “standing had become a chore”. Roi proceeded to play the most beautiful version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Dave said, “that was the day I fell in love with him. And I’m still in love with him.” It’s safe to say we all were in love with him. “It’s always easier to leave, than to be left.” -DM

The DMB Crew
Wednesday, August 20
12:27 AM PDT

 

Thanks for the music, Roi. You’ll be missed more than you know. God speed.

 

Credit to TheLastStop07