George “Dr. Funk” Moye Joins the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame
George Moye, known as Dr. Funk, was inducted into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Jimmy’s Event Center in Vadnais Heights. The bassist grew up on Motown and gospel, relocated to the Twin Cities in the mid-1980s, and worked more than 30 years at Ford while playing weekend shows in cities like Detroit and Chicago. He has anchored Bernard Allison’s rhythm section for 16 years, has played with Eric Clapton and Larry Graham, toured Europe this spring, and mentors young musicians. His daughter, Malina Moye, is a singer and guitarist.
Renowned blues bassist George Moye, better known as Dr. Funk, is the latest inductee into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame. The local legend was inducted Sunday, Oct. 18, at Jimmy’s Event Center in Vadnais Heights.
“I’m so grateful,” Moye told the MSR last week before the ceremony.
Moye, one of the most respected bass players around, has been a blues fixture locally, nationally and internationally for over two decades. His career started in his native Ohio and continued after he relocated to the Twin Cities in the mid-1980s.
“I had a family band,” Moye said. “Me and my nephews had started that when we were young. And as we got into the teenage years, there were a lot of other bands in the area.”
After he entered and won a local band competition, a friend gave Moye the Dr. Funk moniker because of his unique playing style. Music was always around him growing up, he said. His sister loved Motown.
“All that Motown stuff, my sister played all that in the house, so we got all the Temptations and Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross.
“The Funk Brothers, I didn’t know who those players were, James Jamerson,” remembered Moye of the late great bassist, a key member of the Motown house band that hailed from Detroit.
“I didn’t know they were jazz musicians. I didn’t know their history until later in life.”
Of his playing style, Moye said, “It all started with gospel.” He mixes in R&B, rock and roll and Latin grooves, a blend that easily earns his nickname.
His cousin, the late Rev. Willie Lee Mincey, a member of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, was an early influence.
When he isn’t traveling, Moye can regularly be found at weekly jam sessions around town. He has anchored Bernard Allison’s rhythm section for 16 years. Allison, the son of blues legend Luther Allison, released his latest album, “Loving You,” on Oct. 16 on all major streaming platforms. Moye plays on the record.
“Congratulations, Dr. Funk. You are a legend,” Allison said. “No one is more deserving than Mr. Moye, my longtime bass player who has been my friend and big brother for a long time.”
Moye has played with some of the biggest names in music, including Eric Clapton. He also played with Larry Graham and other Minneapolis Sound stalwarts.
“George is an incredible player and a true blues legend who shares his talent with audiences around the world,” said Paul Peterson, a renowned Twin Cities musician. “His groove is right where it belongs, and he knows how to support both the song and the musicians around him.”
For years, Moye kept up his music alongside a day job at Ford. He transferred from Ford in Ohio to the company’s St. Paul plant. He worked for the automaker for more than 30 years before retiring in 2009, two years before the longtime plant closed.
“I would work through the week, but then on the weekend, I might run to Detroit and do a show, run to Chicago and do a show, and then get back to work on Monday,” Moye said. “We did that for a long time.”
Of music, he said, “It’s always been my go-to. It’s always been my therapy. The music has always been my sanctuary.”
After retiring from Ford, Moye became a full-time musician, working both as a frontman and as a first-call studio player.
“I’ve been retired now 17 years. The only thing I know is music,” he said.
This spring, Moye toured France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. He has also played in the United Kingdom.
“We are giving them authentic American music. It’s the real thing,” Moye said.
Music has taken root in the next generation of Moyes as well. His daughter, Malina Moye, is a singer, songwriter and guitar virtuoso who has twice been honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His son Tyrone “T Why” Moye is the founder of [the Bone Yard of Bone Thugs-and-Harmony?] and co-founded Moybrathaz Music with his brother, George June-Bug-Moye.
Getting the call from the Hall made Moye reflect on his career.
“It just made me look back on the history, and then that’s when it kind of hit me; I’ve been pretty busy. I’m a little overwhelmed,” he said.
Moye is also proud to be a living influence on the next generation.
“I have met so many wonderful young people. I’ve took on some students. I got one that’s 15 years old,” he said.
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