Malina Moye has recently made history as the first woman of color to partner up with Kramer on a signature guitar. This is far from her only accolade – having released four studio albums, dominated global stages spanning NBA and NFL events, major festivals, and international tours, and even collaborating with Bootsy Collins.
However, as Moye explains, her hard-earned journey to the upper echelons of the guitar world wasn’t without immense sacrifice.
“I came out to Los Angeles with $20,” she tells Gibson TV. “I was homeless. I lived off of two tacos and water a day.
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“I used to wash up in a gas station. I would sleep in between the front and back seat of my car, and I would take a knife and a Bible. Someone ended up hitting the back of my car, and you know what? I ended up buying a guitar.”
As Moye put it in a 2019 interview with Guitar Girl Magazine, “I was looking on the ground for pennies to just buy a sandwich. Life is going to break you down. You get up and keep fighting every day.”
And fight she did. Years later, thanks to her relentless dedication, she found herself performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – an experience that was nothing short of surreal.
“I remember I was getting on a plane and I remember going, ‘Who is this?’ And he’s like, ‘Hey, I’m actually the president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I just saw your video.’ Then next thing I know I’m on a plane to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to honor Chuck Berry and to have a chance to play in front of him!”
Through her signature guitar, Moye hopes to “incorporate lots more people” to tell their own story, as she was able to tell hers.
“I’m saying, with this guitar, play me your story. I hope that this guitar shows you that magic is real. If something like this can happen to me, with this instrument, maybe it can happen to you too.”
