Bio

"Whether I am playing at a private party, club, corporate function, lounge or block party my goal is to ensure that the music is one of the top highlights of the event. People may not remember what I played, but I want them people to remember how much they loved the music," says DJ Damone.

Having played at large and small events all over the nation, Damone impresses his audiences, not so much with the breadth and variety of music in his sets, but rather the inherent groove of just about everything he plays. From hip hop, reggae and classics to house, funk and jazz audiences come away impressed with his ability to mix and match musical genres and construct unique and memorable sets.

This versatility provides the foundation for what Damone does today. "To some extent, you have to give audiences what they came for," he insists, "But, I also believe it is important for the DJ to expose audiences to new and different music that expands their musical palette."

Damone has been DJ'ing since 1982, when he started playing at house parties in his native Chicago. "The thing that inspired me to begin DJ'ing was when I heard a Saturday night radio show with a crew called the Hot Mix 5," he says. "It was legendary stuff that you didn't want to miss. I knew that I wanted to do what those guys were doing." From that point on, he immersed himself in the music.

"I began frequenting record stores all over the city spending every dime I had on records. I also missed a lot of curfews going to clubs like the Playground, the Powerplant, Cabaret Metro and the Music Box to see DJ's like Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy and Steve "silk" Hurley. This was right around the time that house music was being born in Chicago, so there was plenty of inspiration to draw from," he adds.

"I developed my approach to spinning before there was house or hip hop or the numerous shades of electronic dance music, so when I first started I'd spin disco, Top 40, funk, new wave and European dance music, anything with a danceable beat. It immediately became obvious that in order to be a truly effective DJ you have to know, and be able to play, all kinds of music for all kinds of audiences – without becoming predictable," he adds.

Spinning for Esquire

It is easy to love the music, but today Damone acknowledges that a big part of reason he continues to DJ is because of the places he goes, and the people he has worked with and gotten to know. While living in Washington, D.C. he shared a residency with the Grammy award-winning DJ duo Deep Dish. He played the smaller chill-out room. This led to an experimentation with acid jazz and all sorts of loungy grooves that he still loves today.

Since moving to New York he has carried this experimentation a step further by incorporating live instrumentalists into his sets. This has led to a deeper interest in jazz and improvisational music, because, there is always something new to explore and learn.

While music continues to be a central focus, Damone is comfortable with many forms of media. In addition to DJ'ing, he has worked as a TV reporter, radio host and documentary producer. Damone also writes about media and entertainment and travels the country speaking about, and conducting workshops on, changes in the art and entertainment industries. He also works as a consultant to musicians, singers, actors and writers. He is currently doing research for a sports encyclopedia.