Buddy Strong
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arthur "Buddy" Strong II (born July 7, 1980) is an American musician. He has worked as a touring keyboardist for artists including Usher and Ariana Grande, and joined Dave Matthews Band in 2018.
July 7, 1980
Buddy Strong | |
|---|---|
Strong performing with Usher (2015) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Arthur Strong II July 7, 1980 |
| Occupations | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 2000-present |
| Member of | Dave Matthews Band |
Early life and education
Buddy Strong was born Arthur Strong II on July 7,[1] 1980 to Kathy and Arthur Strong.[2]
He began playing the organ in church from the age of eight, alongside his brother Chris on drums and his father, a pastor. He became musical director of Faith Tabernacle while still at high school, leading three choirs there. He won several jazz-band competitions for his drumming, and also played keyboards and bass guitar.[2]
He attended South Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was a senior in the school's "magnet music" program.[2]
Career
In the early 2000s, he joined Usher to tour behind the album 8701 (2001), on which Strong also contributed to songwriting.[3] He continued to work with Usher afterwards, including co-producing his 2004 album Confessions and joining the 2014–15 UR Experience World Tour.[4] He also joined Ariana Grande for the 2016-17 Dangerous Woman Tour.[4]
Strong joined Dave Matthews Band in 2018,[5][6] replacing violinist Boyd Tinsley. His first work with the band was on the song "Black and Blue Bird" from Come Tomorrow (2018).[6]
In addition to piano and keyboards, Strong plays Hammond organ[7] and contributes backing and occasional lead vocals. The band released their first full album with Strong, Walk Around the Moon, in 2023.[8]