Rob Thomas Concerts Setlist

From troubled teen in Florida to one of modern rock's most influential voices, the journey of Rob Thomas reads like a classic American dream story. Born on an Army base in Germany, he was raised by a single mother across the American South, finding his escape in music, practicing on a stringless guitar, writing songs to impress girls at parties.

His early life wasn't easy: he dropped out of high school, spent time in county jail for car theft, and lived homeless for several years. But the music remained the same, even when he burned his hands with dry ice-his first thought wasn't how he would ever do everyday things, but how these songs would ever get out of his head.

Everything changed in 1993 when he formed Tabitha's Secret, which morphed into Matchbox Twenty. Their 1996 debut "Yourself or Someone Like You" came out slow but eventually blew up with hits like "Push," "3AM," and "Real World," which exhibited Thomas's facility with emotionally honest arena rock. Then, of course, there was the 1999 smash "Smooth" with Santana, which became Billboard's second-biggest hit of all time and secured him three Grammys.

As the leader of Matchbox Twenty, Thomas continued to crank out the hits-"Bent," "If You're Gone," "Unwell"-while establishing himself as one of rock's most dependable songwriters. He's written songs for everybody from Willie Nelson to Mick Jagger, and in 2004, he became the first recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's Hal David Starlight Award.

His solo career was launched with the chart-topping ".Something to Be" in 2005 and a hit single, "Lonely No More," that proved he could make it on his own. With further solo work and Matchbox Twenty releases, Thomas has continued to write songs that strike nerves and touch emotions. His latest efforts-the Christmas album "Something About Christmas Time" and Matchbox Twenty's "Where the Light Goes"-show an artist in growth but surefooted in his emotional songwriting roots.

From homeless teenager to multi-platinum artist, Thomas's story is less a rags-to-riches story than it is one of transformation via music. And whether he's penning songs for himself, his band, or other artists, he's converted personal struggles into universal anthems that have earned him a place among rock's most enduring songwriters.