Stefan Kahil Lessard (born June 4, 1974) is an American musician, most famous as the bassist for the Dave Matthews Band.
He was born in Anaheim, California, to musicians Ron and Janaki Lessard. After moving a number of times during his childhood, Stefan and his family eventually settled in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1987. They had previously lived from 1980-1984 in Buckingham County, Virginia and in Richmond, Virginia from 1984-1986.
After moving to Charlottesville, he enrolled in the Tandem Friends School, where he studied under John D'earth, who would later be responsible for recommending Stefan to Dave Matthews for inclusion in the band. It was thus that Lessard joined the band as it was forming when he was sixteen years old. At the time, he was so young that he had to sneak in the back door of the clubs where the band were playing.
Lessard completed his junior year of high school before dropping out, and was accepted at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond in their jazz studies program. He dropped out of college after six weeks, when it became evident that he could not keep up with school work while continuing with the band, which was beginning to become extremely busy. He decided that touring with the band would be his schooling.
Lessard has acquired numerous affectionate nicknames, such as "Lizard," most likely a play on words using his last name and "Fonzy," most likely a pun using his first name.
