Stefan Lessard

Bassist Stefan Lessard was just 16 years old when then bartender Dave Matthews asked Stefan to join Dave Matthews Band.

Stefan Lessard’s parents had both been musicians and catered a natural musical influence to his life. Stefan was quoted as saying, “My Mom had a beautiful voice and she and my Dad would do jazz gigs at weddings or lounges. They always wanted to be playing more, but the music couldn’t support the cost of life.” His family moved back and forth between California and Rhode Island until they landed in Virginia when he was 6.

In high school, Stefan Lessard picked up the bass and took to it right away. He started with electric bass at first but quickly moved to the upright. He had been playing upright bass for about a year when he was asked to play some music with Dave Matthews, Carter Beauford, and Leroi Moore (Boyd Tinsley was the final member to join Dave Matthews Band). Stefan jumped at the chance, but upon playing his upright with them, he felt the sound of the group called for the electric. In the beginning, he was not only the youngest member of Dave Matthews Band, but also the only one playing an electric instrument.


Stefan Lessard was accepted a year early to VCU where he was enrolled almost a month before he was faced with making the decision to drop out of school to tour with the band.

Dave Matthews loved telling people that Stefan was the only person he knew who both dropped out of high school and college.
(Info via: The Official Site)