Matchbox Twenty

[edit] Americola's celebrity biographies are provided by AmericolaWiki, a celebrity wiki. You can help contribute to Americola and edit this article.

Matchbox Twenty
Image:Matchbox twenty.jpg Matchbox Twenty in 2001
Background information
Also known as	Matchbox 20
Origin	Image:Flag of USA.svg Orlando, Florida, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock
Years active	1996 – 2005 (hiatus)
Label(s)	Warner Atlantic
Associated acts	Rob Thomas (solo)
Website	www.matchboxtwenty.com
Members
Rob Thomas Kyle Cook Brian Yale Paul Doucette
Former members
Adam Gaynor

Matchbox Twenty (originally Matchbox 20, typeset as "matchbox twenty" on most official merchandise) was a rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, who have sold in excess of 39 million albums worldwide. The current members of the band were Rob Thomas (vocals, piano), Paul Doucette (drums), Kyle Cook (lead guitar, vocals) and Brian Yale (bass). Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar), who has left the band, performed on all three of their albums, as well. Rob Thomas was the principal songwriter and lead singer.

Contents 1 History 2 Lineup 3 Discography 3.1 Albums 3.2 Singles 4 External links

History

Thomas, Yale and Doucette performed in the band Tabitha's Secret out of Orlando, Florida before splitting apart to form Matchbox Twenty with Cook and Gaynor.

Matchbox Twenty released their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You in 1996. While their first single, "Long Day", was a rock radio-only smash, the album soon spun off several Top 40 hit singles throughout 1997 and 1998, including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World" and "Back 2 Good". The album eventually went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. alone, earning diamond status. The band toured relentlessly for several years, performing the songs from their one and only album, along with some beloved cover songs such as Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and The Beatles "Don't Let Me Down". Their fan base grew from concert to concert based on their electrifying live performances and the longevity of their hit singles on radio. That same year, Matchbox Twenty recorded a live version of their Top-40 hit "3 AM" for release on the charity album Live in the X Lounge, benefiting cerebral palsy research.

Before recording their second album, Rob Thomas collaborated with Itaal Shur on a song entitled Smooth for Carlos Santana's comeback album, Supernatural. The song had a pop-tinged Latin beat and showcased Thomas' lyrical talents. Thomas was supposed to act solely as songwriter on Smooth, but Carlos Santana requested he sing on it as well after hearing the song's demo recording. "Smooth", was the album's lead single and became a gigantic hit in 1999; Thomas earned three Grammys for writing and performing on "Smooth", including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

In 2000, Matchbox 20 renamed themselves Matchbox Twenty and released their second album, Mad Season. The album featured lush instrumental arrangements and spun off several hit singles, including "Bent" (Number One on Hot 100) and "If You're Gone". The video for "Bent", poked fun of singer Thomas' heightened profile from "Smooth" by showing the other band members assaulting him mercilessly. The evocatively arranged ballad "If You're Gone" became a big hit, especially on adult contemporary formats. The band's next two singles, "Mad Season" and "Last Beautiful Girl" were not particularly successful.

For their third album, More Than You Think You Are, the band returned to a harder rock sound. Thomas shared the songwriting efforts with the other band members on several songs. The album spun off hit singles "Disease", "Unwell", and "Bright Lights".

In May 2004, the band released a live concert DVD, Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, filmed in Atlanta and featuring 20 songs, including all of their hit singles.

In February 2005, rhythm guitarist Gaynor officially left the group, which had been on hiatus to allow other members to pursue side projects. Rob Thomas went on to release a solo album entitled ...Something To Be which became the U.S. Billboard 200 #1 album the first week of its release. The album featured four hit singles: "Lonely No More", "This is How a Heart Breaks", "Ever the Same" and "Streetcorner Symphony".

In January 2007, Rob Thomas released a single entitled "Little Wonders" which he wrote for the Disney movie "Meet the Robinsons".

Lineup

• Rob Thomas – Vocals and piano
• Kyle Cook – Lead guitar and backing vocals
• Brian Yale – Bass guitar
• Paul Doucette – Drums, percussion and backing vocals
• Adam Gaynor – Rhythm Guitar and backing vocals (1996–2005)

Discography

Albums

• Yourself or Someone Like You (1996) US: #5 (12x Platinum) AUS: #11 (9x Platinum) AUS: (End of year chart 1998): #1 [1] (WW: 20 million)
• Mad Season (2000) US: #3 (4x Platinum); UK: #31,(WW: 10 million)
• More Than You Think You Are (2002) US: #6 (2x Platinum); UK: #31, AUS: #3 (5x Platinum) (WW: 7 million)
• EP (2003)

Singles

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. Modern Rock	U.S. Mainstream Rock	U.S. Adult Top 40	U.S. Top 40 Mainstream	UK	AUS	Album
1996	"Long Day"	-	-	8	-	-	-	-	Yourself or Someone Like You
1997	"Push"	-	1	4	6	3	38	8	Yourself or Someone Like You
1997	"3 A.M."	-	3	2	1	2	64	31	Yourself or Someone Like You
1998	"Real World"	38	17	13	3	4	-	40	Yourself or Someone Like You
1998	"Back 2 Good"	24	-	-	4	8	-	-	Yourself or Someone Like You
2000	"Bent"	1	16	24	1	1	79	19	Mad Season
2000	"If You're Gone"	5	-	-	1	4	50	18	Mad Season
2001	"Mad Season"	48	-	-	-	20	76	42	Mad Season
2001	"Angry"	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	Mad Season
2001	"Last Beautiful Girl"	-	-	-	20	-	-	-	Mad Season
2002	"Disease"	29	-	-	4	21	50	31	More Than You Think You Are
2003	"Unwell"	5	-	-	1	3	-	12	More Than You Think You Are
2004	"Bright Lights"	23	-	-	2	15	-	26	More Than You Think You Are
2004	"Downfall"	-	-	-	27	-	-	-	More Than You Think You Are
2004	"All I Need"	-	-	-	-	-	-	32	More Than You Think You Are

Wikipedia information about Matchbox Twenty This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Matchbox Twenty". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.