Xavier Rudd is an Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is well known on the music festival circuit for playing at musical festivals and concerts in Australia, North America and throughout Europe. His fan base is particularly strong in Australia and in Canada, where he has recorded several albums and performed live shows. Xavier Rudd, born in 1978, grew up in Torquay, Victoria where he attended St. Joseph's College, Geelong ... See more [+] . Rudd showed a keen interest in music growing up. Before his solo career he began playing music as part of the band 'Xavier and the Hum'. He drew inspiration from artists such as Leo Kottke, Ben Harper, Natalie Merchant and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, as well as music from diverse sources, such as Hawaiian and Native American music. Xavier has two sons, Joaquin and Finojet. Rudd is a vegetarian, and was awarded PETA's annual "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity" award for 2007. Xavier has also received Paul Watson Sea Shepherds Rock the Boat award. Rudd is a one-man band who plays surrounded by instruments in a complicated array. Typically, he has three didgeridoos placed in front of him on a stand, a guitar on his lap, a stompbox by his habitually bare feet, and an assortment of drums, banjos, harmonicas, bells, and bass guitar near at hand, or near at foot as the case may be. Several of Rudd's songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as spirituality, humanity, environmentalism and the rights of Aboriginal peoples. His songs include stories of the mistreatment of the indigenous people of his homeland. Rudd has included both Australian and Canadian Aboriginal vocals in some of his songs. He tends to play the Didgeridoo in many of his songs. Rudd has become a known name at music festivals worldwide including the Bonnaroo Music Festival, the High Sierra (2004 & 2007) and the Wakarusa (2005), moe.down (2003), Summer Sonic, Lowlands, Rock Werchter among others. As his popularity continued to grow, he received many opportunities to perform on tour with artists such as Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, Good Old War, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Rodrigo y Gabriela.
