David John Matthews was born in Johannesburg, the third of four children born to John and Valerie Matthews. At two years old, Matthews' family immigrated to Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, New York, where his father, a physicist, started working for IBM.[3]
In 1974, the family moved to Cambridge, England, for a year before returning to New York, where his father died from lung cancer in 1977. Biographer Nevin Martell argues that Dave's father's death may be an impetus for his "carpe diem" lyrics.[4] At some point while residing in New York, Matthews attended his first concert when his mother took him to a performance by Pete Seeger.[5] The family moved back to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1977. [6]
Upon Matthews' graduation from St Stithians College high school, he was faced with conscription into the South African military just as civil disobedience to the practice was becoming widespread.[7] A Quaker (and consequently pacifist), Matthews left South Africa to avoid service.[8]
Matthews moved to New York in 1986 where he worked for I.B.M. for a short time,[6] then joined his mother in Charlottesville, Virginia the same year, a town Matthews' family had lived in before he was born. [6] It was in Charlottesville that he became part of the local music community. [8] Pursuing various interests, Matthews acted in various local productions.[citation needed] Although Matthews had started playing the guitar at the age of 9, it was only in Charlotteville that he started performing publicly. [6]From time to time local star (and future collaborator) Tim Reynolds had Matthews join him on stage, and another friend, Ross Hoffman, persuaded Matthews to record some of his own songs. [6][9] This eventually led to his first professional musical gig at a modern dance performance by the Miki Liszt Dance Company, based at McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, singing "Meaningful Love", composed by John D'earth and Dawn Thompson. [10] In 1991 he hatched the idea to form his own band. [6]
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