Moby

Lore & Background

Moby was born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, to Elizabeth McBride and James Frederick Hall, a chemistry professor who died in a car crash when Moby was two. His father gave him the nickname 'Moby' three days after his birth. He was raised by his mother, moving to San Francisco, then Darien, Connecticut, where he lived in a squat, and later Stratford, Connecticut. He took up guitar and piano at age nine, and played in underground punk bands including Vatican Commandos, Flipper, and Ultra Vivid Scene before turning to electronic dance music. In 1989 he moved to New York City and became a prolific DJ, producer, and remixer. His 1991 single 'Go' was his mainstream breakthrough, especially in Europe, peaking within the top ten in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Between 1992 and 1997 he scored eight top ten hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. His fifth album Play (1999) became an unexpected global hit in 2000, selling 12 million copies.

Reader's Guide

Moby's significance lies in his role as a pivotal figure in bringing electronic dance music to mainstream audiences in the US and UK during the early 1990s. His single 'Go' and subsequent dance hits established him as a leading producer and remixer. The unexpected global success of Play (1999) demonstrated the commercial viability of electronic music in the mainstream market, with its seventh single 'South Side' featuring Gwen Stefani reaching No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He has authored four books, including two memoirs. His later work includes orchestral reworkings of his catalog and ambient explorations, showing continued evolution across genres.

Did You Know?

• Moby's father gave him the nickname 'Moby' three days after his birth because his parents considered him large for a newborn.
• He is not directly related to Herman Melville, author of Moby-Dick, despite family claims.
• His 1991 single 'Go' earned him just $2,000 in royalties.
• Moby's album Play (1999) sold 12 million copies worldwide.