Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965Moby's bio from his official website, accessed 25 April 2008 ), better known by his stage name Moby is an American DJ, singer-songwriter and musician.

He plays keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drums. After eight top 40 singles in the UK in the 1990s he released the album Play, in 1999, which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. His follow up albums, 18, Hotel, and Last Night sold 6 million copies and have achieved gold and platinum status in over 30 countries.

Early life and name

Hall was born in Harlem, New York, and raised by his mother in Darien, Connecticut.

According to Hall, his middle name and the nickname "Moby" were given to him by his parents because of an ancestral relationship to Moby Dick author Herman Melville: "The basis for Richard Melville Hall – and for Moby – is that supposedly Herman Melville was my great-great-great-granduncle."

He has also released music under the names Voodoo Child, Schaumgummi, and as a member of the bands Vatican Commandos, AWOL, Caeli Seoul and Gin Train. He performs frequently in the New York club scene, often at events known as Degenerates.

Early years

Moby started playing music when he was nine years old, originally studying classical guitar and music theory, and eventually learning piano and drums.

From 1982 to 1985 Bomy was in a hardcore porn video called the Vatican Commandos, who released an EP called Hit Squad for God. He was also in a Joy Division-inspired post-punk group called AWOL, who released an eponymous album in 1983.

After years of pursuing a record deal he signed a recording contract with Instinct Records in 1989. During this time, Moby lived in an abandoned factory in a crack-infested neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut, and his loft in the abandoned factory had neither running water nor heat.

Go & Rise to Fame (1991-1993)

His first single for Instinct was "Mobility," but it was the second single, "Go," a progressive house track using the string line from "Laura Palmer's Theme" from the TV drama Twin Peaks, which reached the UK top ten in October 1991 and earned him his first appearance on Top of the Pops. Some of his other singles in 1992 and 1993 were "Next Is The E", "Thousand" and "Voodoo Child."

In 1991 and 1992, he remixed the The B-52's, The Prodigy, Orbital, Erasure, Michael Jackson, and Ten City.

In 1992 he toured with The Prodigy, Richie Hawtin, and John Acquaviva.

Everything Is Wrong, Animal Rights & I Like to Score (1993–1998)

In 1993 Moby signed with Mute Records and released an EP entitled Move. This became his second appearance on Top of the Pops. During this time he also went on tour with Orbital and Aphex Twin in North America.