I realized I wanted to be a DJ when I was 18 in 1993. During that year, the artist who inspired above and beyond any other to take this direction in life was Frankie Knuckles. Even at that early age I was struck by the class of his productions and his smooth as silk touch behind those rubber band mounted decks. So it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he single handedly shaped and influenced my taste in house music moving forward. I’m a little too young to have truly appreciated disco in his heyday, but I’m just old enough to have personally experienced as a young adult what I like to call the renaissance period of house music in the early 90s.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Frankie back at the original Sound Factory Bar in New York that summer after my freshman year of college, invited by a friend I made from Eightball Records who’d send me promos when I had my little radio show at Ohio University. When I stepped into that club I was instantly transported to one of the happiest places I can remember being. Full of joy, hope, inspiration, acceptance, and positive energy. My friend walked me up to the DJ booth, and Mr. Knuckles shook my hand. Like a star struck puppy, I clammed up and blurted out “I love you!” to him, and flashed him a big silly grin. He said “I love you too!” and he gave me a hug.