What year were you born?
1961
What did your parents do?
My mother, because of her bad vision, didn't have a career. She wanted to be a singer. My father was a trans-atlantic sire.
Who did you want to be when you were growing up?
Michael Jackson! Then I decided that I, myself, could just dance my way to stardom. I wanted to dance.
What was your first gig?
"Who's Who" Disco in Savannah Ga. 1979. The club was opened by a straight couple that probably didn't want the gay stigma attached to their name. So they opened as a "Disco" with the gay staff that came from a recently closed underground gay bar called Dr. Feelgoods. Feelgoods was where I was inspired to be a DJ.
What records did you play that night?
Brainstorm - "Hot for You" Ashford and Simpson - "Found a Cure" Bruni Pagan - "Fantasy" Bunny Sigler - "By the Way You Dance (I Knew It Was You)" Cameo- I Just Want To Be" Candi Staton - "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" Carrie Lucas - "Dance With You" Cher - "Take Me Home" Cory Daye - "Pow Wow" Dan Hartman with Loleatta Holloway - "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" Deniece Williams - "I've Got the Next Dance" Destination - "Move On Up Up Up" Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band - "Deputy of Love" Dynasty - "I don't Want To Be A Freak" Fever - "Pump It Up" (huge fave) First Choice -"Let Me Down Easy"(the medley) Front Page - "Love Insurance" Grace Jones - "On Your Knees" Gregg Diamond - "Danger" Jackie Moore - "This Time Baby" The Jones Girls - "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" Kat Mandu - "The Break" Love De-Luxe - "Here Comes That Sound Again" Machine - "There But For the Grace of God Go I" Martin Circus - "Disco Circus" Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" Patti LaBelle - "Music is My Way of Life" Poussez! - "Boogie With Me" Queen Samantha - "Take A Chance" Ren Woods - "Everybody Get Up" The Ritchie Family - "Put Your Feet to the Beat" Sergio Mendes - "I'll Tell You" The Skatt Brothers - "Walk the Night" Stargard - "Wear It Out" Stephanie Mills - "Put Your Body in It" Sylvester - "Can't Stop Dancing" THP Orchestra - "Good to Me" Taana Gardner - "When You Touch Me" Tamiko Jones - "Can't Live Without Your Love" Tata Vega - "Just Keep Thinking About You Baby" Theo Vaness a.k.a. Theo Vanness - "Sentimentally It's You" and Im A Bad Bad Boy" Two Man Sound - "Que Tal America" Voyage - around this time. (Should I edit this? I couldn't stop!)
Excellent! Full tracklisting from your first gig! What was your first serious residency?
Club Rio in Atlanta, a super cool alternative club. Rio was situated in what had formally been the storage space for RKO Film Studios. My DJ's booth was one of the actual Vaults. I played the hell out of any and every thing, and then would break for live acts. Mostly cool underground acts from the 80's like Larry T and Love Explosion, John Sex, The Swingin Peek Sisters, Ru Paul, The Fabulous Pop Tarts, Lady Bunny, The Delrubio Triplettes, Fishbone, Lena Lovich ... Genius! It was a great op for me to learn the game and establish a name for myself as a DJ. I fell in love with the idea of my job being one that supports dance musics creative underground. It was also where I fell in love with House! A few yrs later I moved to NYC.
What year would that have been?
I started Rio in 85 or 86. It was a very smart and clever offering to Atlantas cool, underground clubbers. I recall playing Steve Silk Hurley, Chip E, Colonal Abrams with New Order, Ministry, Cabaret Voltair, The Smiths, Konk etc.. It was such a cool distortion. Really random. My DJ booth had 2 huge doors made of steel that gave me mad security to do any and everything that was off limits. One fond memory is inviting Big Audio Dynamite inside! Around the same time I became one of a hundred Billboard Reporters for Billboard Magazine. I made a few friends with record promotors from NY and DJ's from all over the US. Ralphie Rosario, Danny Tenaglia, Marques Wyatt, Tony Humphries, Louie Vega, Junior Vasquez, Doc Marin and a few others were on the Billboard panel at that time. Oh, it was also the club where the big Rob Lowe sex scandal broke. I know the guy that sold the video to the press. I love sex scandals!!!! MORE!
Ha ha. What was your first major European appearance?
Ministry Of Sound! Thanks To Bert Bevans and Justin Berkman, by the way. I met them when I worked at Emotive Records in NY. Around that same time I was going to London to do stints for Feel Real at The Gardening Club, Queer Nation, Satellite Club etc. I consider those to be pretty major as well because they inspired me on another level. The music in those clubs was top notch!
And when was that?
I'm not sure, but I do know that I have at least 2 cassette tapes marked live from MoS London June 26 1993. This could have been my first visit. It was during the time when Tony Humphries was there and letting those bitches have it!!!
How is the New York scene these days?
Creative. The scene is quite different nowadays. I do miss those days when the street culture filled the clubs and vice versa. There isn't much of that anymore, but NY is still the belly of the beast, it's heart beats strong. It's still a pretty fab place.
Has the gentrification of New York, the loss of rent control, turned it into a different place?
Reality TV, MTV's Real World and Sex In The City did the most damage. Most Americans were all scared to death of NY until they leaked the formula. Manhattan is for the super rich now, surely. Any progressive developments like the Meat Packing District are made bland within a few years. The Meat Packing District was the last undiscovered treasure in NY. It's where the Cooler was. It was where Johnny Dynell and crew did Jackie 60. WOW!! One of the last great parties from that era. They just don't do it that way anymore. Aside from Cielo, there's no other reason to frequent the MPD.
Where does the underground culture really exist?
Now would it be underground if I were to tell you where it is, now would it?! But seriously, there's actually a great underground movement in NY. I think it's a better question for the House Heads and House Dancers of NYC. I can actually say, because of first hand experience, that NYC has the best House Dancers in the world! Follow those guys, and you'll find out where it lives and who it lives through. It's certainly not behind the ropes.
It would seem that over the years Europe has assimilated the underground tribes and subculture of House more easily than America - and yet America is the home of so much of the music. What is the continual sticking point in the States?
Great question. Not sure that I have the answer. After the huge death of Disco, everything closely related to dance music went underground here. Maybe it's because Hip Hop has become a new cool in our pop culture. Again, the culture of the clubs mirroring the streets. Also, we don't have the creative radio programming of Europe to support the US house scene.
It seems that big events like the Electric Zoo and Electric Daisy Festival seem to have captured an emerging interest in dance music in a young teen US audience, perhaps previously excluded by the 21-and-over club scene. Las Vegas has also (somewhat oddly) developed its own big mainstream club culture. A new era seems to be approaching in the US. Can you see change approaching?
I don't think that there has ever been a lack of passion for dance music here, just a lack of support for uptemto dance music. There's no doubt that there is an emerging passion for House music in the new generation of clubbers. Radio is also embracing a faster tempo of music again. For years it seemed that the BPM for everything on the radio was below 109. Maybe we should thank our Lady Gaga after all?
Do you have a major regret?
Not cherishing my collection of music early on. And then selling off a lot of my gems before moving to NYC. I'm now buying them all back for twice as much + shipping!
Who would play you in the film of your life?
I have no idea how to answer this one. Although, I must say that I'm doing a pretty good job!
Who remain the great unsung underground heroes to you?
The people with lengendary status in my eyes. Most are behind the scenes but their offerings have made an impact on the whole of house nation. Leslie Doyle, Judy Weinstein, Bobby Shaw, Claudia Cuseta, Abby Adams, Phil D, Don Welch, and so many others. The great underground dance music stores from Chicago and DC and NYC etc. The promotors who where always on top of it, inspired by the scene and inspired it - all involved because they loved it! There are too many to name.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
The Tom Moulton mix of "Don't Leave me This Way" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Tune! My ashes are to be stuffed into and blown out of a confetti cannon at the dramatic conclusion. How else would you expect me to go?
What will clubland be dancing to in 6 months time?
Tedd Patterson "Beat Like This"
What is the oldest record in your box that you still play regularly?
Tantra "The Hills Of Katmandu" - my edit.
What is the newest?
Harrison Crump. The "Michel Cleis Remix ... on the Cocoon label. Scortch! Underground realness at its best.

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