Richard Melville Hall, also known as Moby, was born on September 11, 1965, in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, specifically in the vibrant Harlem neighborhood. His mother, Elizabeth McBride (née Warner),was a dedicated medical secretary, while his father, James Frederick Hall, was a professor of chemistry.
Moby's nickname, which he inherited from his father, is a nod to the classic novel "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville. Interestingly, Moby claims that Herman Melville, the renowned author of the iconic novel, is his Great-Great-Great-Uncle.
Following his father's untimely passing in a car accident when Moby was just two years old, his mother relocated the family to San Francisco in 1969. They later settled in various towns in Connecticut, including Darien and Stratford.
At the tender age of nine, Moby began his musical journey by playing classical guitar and piano, which eventually led him to study jazz, music theory, and percussion. In 1983, he joined the punk band the Vatican Commandos as a guitarist, marking the beginning of his musical endeavors.
Moby's musical pursuits continued to evolve as he formed AWOL, a post-punk group, and released a self-titled EP, crediting himself as Moby Hall. His academic interests also shifted, and he went on to study philosophy at the University of Connecticut. However, he soon became fascinated with electronic music and started DJing for the college radio station WHUS.
Moby's musical journey took a significant turn when he transferred to the State University of New York at Purchase, where he continued to study philosophy and developed an interest in photography. However, he eventually dropped out of college to pursue a career as a DJ.
Beyond his musical accomplishments, Moby has also ventured into various entrepreneurial endeavors. He founded the "Little Idiot Collective", a unique combination of a clothing store, comics store, and animation studio. Additionally, he opened "TeaNY", a raw and vegan restaurant, and later launched Little Pine, a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles that donates all profits to animal welfare causes.
Today, Moby is widely recognized as an electronic music pioneer, vegan, and activist, dedicating his life to raising awareness about animal welfare and climate change.
