LeRoi Moore 1961-2008

I find it hard to come up with words to describe what he meant not only to me but to the millions of people he reached over the passed 17 years. His quiet presence on stage never once dampened the monster performances. He could build a fire with a single run of notes; he could silence the loudest crowd with the softest melodies.

I am speaking, of course, about the late LeRoi Moore. This inspired musician played the saxophone, flute, and pennywhistle for one of my favorite music groups, The Dave Matthews Band. He left this earth on Tuesday, August 19^th, 2008.

Do you ever hear a song or an album that just throws you back to a certain time in your life and floods you with emotions happy or sad? The Dave Matthews Band has been the soundtrack to my life since the 6^th grade. It may sound silly to some, but I know there are many of you reading this that have been touched so deeply by a piece of music that it almost brought you to tears or gave you the chills.

It may sound silly to many of you that I am mourning the loss of a musician. I am kind of surprised at how much this loss is affecting me. Though I can’t say I knew LeRoi personally, the connection I had with his music was real. Through great times and horrible times in my life, music was always a way to heal and rejoice. This is the end of an era. Whether the band continues on without him or not, this is the end of a chapter in my life. When we are speechless, when words get the best of us, when words are simply not enough... the music will be there for us all, and LeRoi with every note.

LeRoi passed away on Tuesday, but DMB did not cancel their show that evening. Here are the road crew's thoughts after the show-

"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." -Dave Matthews

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

If you have never heard LeRoi Moore play, I have made an 18 minute tribute to his music. You can download it here - LeRoi Moore Tribute

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