Dave Matthews Band Saxophonist LeRoi Moore Dies

Posted on Aug 20th 2008 9:45AM by Benjy Eisen
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Dave Matthews Band saxophonist LeRoi Moore, one of the band's founding members, died on Tuesday afternoon after struggling with injuries from a June 30 ATV accident. He was 46.

"Moore had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program," a spokesperson for the Dave Matthews Band said. The ATV accident occurred on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia, the city where DMB originally formed in 1991 with Moore, singer/guitarist Dave Matthews and drummer Carter Beauford.

In the days following his accident, Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) had been substituting for the fallen saxophonist. In July, Coffin told Spinner that he was just a temporary replacement until Moore could perform with the band again. "They're such a strong band," he said. "I'm just trying to do my thing in their river and really play a supportive role." Coffin performed with the band, as scheduled, at a DMB concert on Tuesday night following word of Moore's death.

The statement from the band spokesperson says that, despite his injuries, Moore's death came "unexpectedly." Read the full story.