From Rock City to the Rock Hall: Rashawn Ross on Hall of Fame Induction

Virgin Islands native Rashawn Ross is still pinching himself. The trumpeter for the Dave Matthews Band, recently announced with the group as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 inductees, said when the email confirming the honor finally came through, it was a surreal moment.

Currently on the last leg of a European tour, the band was having dinner and erupted in celebration.

“We weren’t expecting anything,” Ross said in a phone call with the Source from England. “I wasn’t even paying much attention to the voting — I don’t think any of us were. We’re just a group of bandmates that love music — we tour, we play, none of us are in it for the trophies or accolades or anything like that, so when we found out, it was really just a surreal moment. It really took us by surprise when we got the call.”

The award ceremony isn’t until Oct. 19, Ross added, and there’s still a lot to do until then. In just the past month, Ross was in the territory bringing his mother home, and then immediately turned around to leave for Amsterdam. The next two nights, the band is playing not only in England, but Ireland and Belgium before leaving for France and wrapping up in Portugal.