Bassist and songwriter George Joseph Porter, Jr, was born in New Orleans on December 26, 1947. Best known for his work in the Meters, progenitors of funk and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners, George has performed and recorded with a Who’s Who list of artists from around the world, as well as performing regularly in several bands.
Porter grew up in New Orleans next to Joe "Zigaboo" Modeliste, his future Meters bandmate, and as teenagers, they played jam sessions together with Porter playing a box guitar. Porter was inspired to play bass guitar by another New Orleans native, Benjamin "Poppi" Francis, and when Porter was still in his teens, he sat in with legendary New Orleans R&B and blues guitarist Earl King. The beginnings of The Meters came after one of those shows when Art Neville approached Porter to start a band called Neville Sound. After a short time, the band’s four core members - Art Neville, Zigaboo Modeliste, Leo Nocentilli and Porter Jr., played six nights a week at a bar called Ivanhoe on Bourbon Street. Allen Toussaint ultimately signed the band to a record deal, but changed their name to something that better reflected their sound, “The Meters”.
In 1975, they opened for the Rolling Stones, but by 1977, The Meters broke up, and Porter Jr. formed a band called Joyride. He played with Joyride and other New Orleans musicians in the 1980s, and in 1989 he reunited with Art Neville and Leo Nocentelli as The Meters, with Russell Batiste, Jr., on drums in place of Zigaboo Modeliste. In 1990, he started The Runnin Pardners, and he also became a highly sought after studio bass player. In 1994, Porter and Neville formed The Funky Meters to carry on The Meters sound, including Brian Stoltz on guitar and Russell Batiste Jr. on drums.
In 2000, the original four Meters reunited for a show, and they did not reunite again until the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival after Hurricane Katrina in 2006, which meant a lot to the city. Porter, Leo Nocentelli, Joe Modeliste, Phish keyboardist Page McConnell, have performed a limited number of shows as The Metermen in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Sadly, Meters keyboardist Art Neville passed away on July 22, 2019. Porter still performs with Joyride and The Funky Meters, and tours consistently with the Runnin Pardners. Porter also frequently collaborates with other musicians, many from New Orleans, to the delight of his many fans. Happy birthday, George!
