Dave Matthews Band will have a new touring member this year.

Buddy Strong, who has performed with Usher, Britney Spears and others, is the new Dave Matthews Band keyboardist. He will join Dave Matthews, Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, Tim Reynolds, Jeff Coffin and Rashawn Ross in the lineup for the 2018 DMB tour.

Strong is the first Dave Matthews Band keyboardist since Butch Taylor left the band in 2008. It’s not known if Strong performs on the new DMB album, Come Tomorrow, which has a June 8 release date.

Strong announced the news on Instagram today, writing: “I’m so proud to announce that I’m working with Dave Matthews Band for the Summer tour. It’s truly a blessing that I’m grateful for.”

Who is Buddy Strong?

Strong, a Phoenix native, grew up playing gospel music, and he first began touring as part of Usher’s band in 2000, according to an article on Nord Keyboards’ website. (Rashawn has also performed with Usher in the past.)

Strong joined Ariana Grande’s touring band in 2016 and was present at her May 22, 2017 concert in Manchester, England, where a terror attack killed 22 people. He also performed with Grande, Coldplay, Justin Bieber and others at the One Love Manchester benefit concert the following month.

Strong has both personal and business Twitter accounts.

History of Dave Matthews Band keyboardists

Buddy Strong will be the third Dave Matthews Band keyboardist in history. Butch Taylor served longest in that position; he first began playing with the band in 1998 and performed at every DMB show from May 18, 2001 to April 1, 2008, according to DMBAlmanac.com. Butch returned to the band for a guest appearance at the Concert for Charlottesville in 2017. He also played on two DMB studio albums, 1998’s Before These Crowded Streets and 2005’s Stand Up, and was present for abandoned 2006 studio sessions — some of which may be included on Come Tomorrow.

The original Dave Matthews Band keyboardist was Peter Greisar, who joined the band shortly after its inception in 1991 and left after its March 23, 1993 concert. Greisar co-wrote the DMB songs “People People,” which the band retired after his departure, and “So Much to Say,” which won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.