Published at 11:37 AM on August 20, 2008

By Henry Freedland

LeRoi Moore: 1961-2008

LeRoi Moore, saxophonist for rock group Dave Matthews Band, passed away Tuesday due to complications from a vehicle accident sustained in June. He was 46.

Moore had been a member of the group since its 1991 founding, though he performed as a jazz musician in the local Charlottesville, Va. music scene before Matthews approached him. His penchant for wearing sunglasses during live sets was due to stage fright, but Moore had little to be scared of music-wise: he studied music at James Madison University and was an accomplished woodwind player—mastering bass, baritone, tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, as well as clarinets and flutes.  

At a show last night in Los Angeles, Matthews paid tribute to his lost friend. "We all had some bad news today," he told the sold-out crowd. "Our good friend LeRoi Moore passed on and gave his ghost up today and we will miss him forever."

Related links:
LeRoi Moore at DaveMatthewsBand.com
Weekly Davespeak: "LeRoi Moore, The Influence of a Woodwind Master"
LeRoi Moore on IMDb

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