Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey

From the first time a record was played over the airwaves in 1906, to a modern club economy that totals $3 billion annually in New York City alone, the DJ has been at the center of popular music. Starting as little more than a talking jukebox, the DJ is now a premier entertainer, producer, businessman, and musician in his own right. Superstar DJs, from Junior Vasquez to Sasha and Digweed, command worship and adoration from millions, flying around the globe to earn tens of thousands of dollars for one night’s work. Increasingly, they are replacing live musicians as the central figures of the music industry. In Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, music journalists Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton have written the first comprehensive history of the mysterious and charismatic figure behind the turntables — part obsessive record collector, part mad scientist, part intuitive psychologist of the party groove. From England’s rabid Northern Soul scene to the birth of disco in New York, from the sound systems of Jamaica to the scratch wars of early hip-hop in the Bronx, from Chicago house to Detroit techno to London rave, DJs are responsible for most of the significant changes in music over the past forty years. Drawing on in-depth interviews with DJs, critics, musicians, record executives, and the revelers at some of the century’s most legendary parties, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is nothing less than the life story of dance music.

After taking a little longer than expected (blame it on school), I finally found some time to finish the remaining portion of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. Not exactly a new piece of literature (the book was published in 1999), I had found it when searching on Amazon for great books about DJing. The authors, both former MixMag editors, are also responsible for the highly recommended DJ guidebook “How To DJ Right”.

As a DJ and music aficionado, this book was right up my ally. For anyone interested in the history of DJing and modern music in general, this book is an essential read providing unparalleled insight into where the DJ came from, how he got there, and where he’s headed. As it was published in ’99 the last few chapters read rather dated, but the historical context is still 100% relevant.

After reading this book I can say that I’ve significantly broadened my knowledge and appreciation of club and dance music. The chapters on Disco and House were particularly interesting and lead to countless classic tracks that every DJ would benefit from knowing. My collection (and DJ sets) now consists of a whole lot more disco and Chicago house records. It really opened up a whole new world of music, artists/DJs and approaches to DJing and playing music. An added bonus is at the back of the book are club charts from all the famous clubs mentioned throughout such as Paradise Garage or The Warehouse. Just reading this book alone will make any DJ better. It would be nice to see them release an updated version as so much has changed in the world of DJing since 1999. The art of DJing was really at a crossroads at that time with the integration of digital music and the impact of the internet. At the pace it’s changed and continues to evolve it’s almost impossible to keep up.

Click here to buy a copy at Amazon online