He changed his last name from Bass to Bey at age 27 when he joined the Moorish Science Temple of America.

Along with his brother and two cousins, their group “The Rising Sons” toured around The South making live appearances as well as radio broadcasts.

He also sang with his mother at local concerts, where he had the opportunity to help open shows for the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, the Soul Stirrers, and other notable groups.

[1] He left home when he was 17 and moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for two and a half years as a driver for Gene Lawson, Otis Redding’s advance publicity man.

[11] This was followed by the release of All My Dues Are Paid[12] in January 2020, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Album".