DMB 101: Meet Boyd
Violinist Boyd Tinsley was the last permanent member of the band to be brought on board by Dave Matthews. Born in Charlottesville, Boyd began studying classical violin at the age of 12. Later on, Boyd's musical tastes changed and he began playing contemporary music. He has been quoted saying, "I never really played fiddle. All my experience in music was classical up until the time I finished high school (quoted by David Fields in The Charlottesville Observer)."
Though his interests lied in music, Boyd didn't pursue his music in higher learning. Like Carter, who studied education in college, Boyd found himself studying another subject altogether -- history, at the University of Virginia. But he continued to practice violin, honing his amazing talent.
It was practice making perfect for certain! Boyd began making club tours with a band... his own! The Boyd Tinsley Band toured the east coast for nearly five years. Not only did Boyd continue with the violin, but he also sang and wrote songs for his band.
Many of us have heard Dave reminisce about the first time he saw Boyd playing. During a guest appearance on Charlie Rose, Dave said he saw him and thought, "That poor violin! He really shouldn't be doing that thing like that." We all know what Dave was talking about! Never before and never again will anyone play the violin the same way Boy Tinsley does!
At first Boyd was a guest artist at DMB's gigs. Back then, DMB was a foursome and Boyd only played when his schedule with The Boyd Tinsley Band would allow. Within about a year, Boyd had decided to become a permanent part of DMB. Peter Greiser would play keyboards with the band for a while, but later left. After his departure DMB had developed into who we know today!
So, the core members were together and it was time they cut that demo album. In the coming weeks, you will learn about Dave himself and hear about the early days of the band, including where they played, the early fans, how they built their fan base, who they played with, the wonders that taping did them and much more!
Reference: Fields, David: "Tinsley Takes His Violin through Full Musical Range" in The Charlottesville Observer.
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