George Porter Jr.

On May 14, 2022, at age 74, George Porter  Jr. accepted his honorary Doctor of Music degree from Loyola University New Orleans. As a founding member of and bassist for legendary New Orleans funk band The Meters, George helped create an unmistakable New Orleans sound that would bend the direction of popular music for years to come. Over the years, he’s become more than a creator and ambassador of New Orleans music; he’s advanced the lexicon of sound across genres and generations.

George has been playing professionally since he was 12 years old — nearly 65 years! In the early days, he had to play whatever styles the band that hired him wanted. Same with his work as a session musician. He’s played with so many giants of the music industry, the list is too long to even start. And he was taught to pay attention to the sound, the feel, the performance — to see what he could learn and where to go next.

The importance of paying attention is something he instills in the younger musicians lucky enough to share the stage with him. Musicians who have passed through his bands describe his performances and his example as “Porter University.”

At Porter University, you learn more than how to prepare for and perform a successful gig. You learn more than the hidden side of the music business. You pick up feelings and ideas and experience — priceless tools for your musical tool chest. The sound of a 15-year-old piano phenom incorporating bits of New Orleans funk and R&B into new music isn’t lost on George.

And George Porter Jr. loves to perform. As a young man touring the nation and world, he didn’t expect to still love this work at age 76. But he does. This year alone, his tours hit over 100 dates across the U.S., Europe and Japan. That’s in addition to his more-than-a-decade-long Monday night residency at the famous Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans.

George Porter Jr. is a living legend. And what they’re calling Porter University is opening the stage for generations of legends to come. That’s what makes George Porter Jr. a Peoples Health Champion.