DJ Deeon
{{Short description|American DJ and producer (1966–2023)}}
{{Expand French|topic=bio|DJ Deeon|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = DJ Deeon
| image = DJ Deeon, 2009 (cropped).jpg
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| caption = DJ Deeon in 2009
| birth_name = Deeon Boyd
| alias = Debo
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1966|10|5}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois
| origin = South Side, Chicago
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|07|18|1966|10|05}}
| death_place =
| genre = Ghetto house{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JaKAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA181|title=Dance Music|author=Sfetcu, Nicolae|page=181|date= May 9, 2014 }}
| occupation =
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| years_active = 1980–2023
| label = Dance Mania
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Deeon Boyd (October 5, 1966 – July 18, 2023), known under his stage name DJ Deeon, was an American Chicago house DJ, credited with pioneering ghetto house and helping create the Dance Mania label.{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2017/05/29/dj-deeon-dance-mania-fact-mix/|title=FACT mix 603: DJ Deeon|author=Twells, John|date=May 29, 2017|website=Fact}}
Early life
Boyd was born in Chicago in 1966. Growing up in a housing project in the South Side, he became interested in electronic music after listening to "Numbers" by Kraftwerk off their 1981 album Computer World, later discovering house mixes on WBMX.{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/03/04/oral-history-of-dance-mania/2/|title="No one was doing the type of music we were doing": An oral history of Dance Mania|page=1|website=Fact|date=4 March 2014 }}
Career
Boyd started DJing in 1980, with Boyd being influenced by Kraftwerk, John Rocca, and Soulsonic Force.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2023/07/18/1188380514/dj-deeon-influential-and-iconic-chicago-house-music-dj-dead-at-56|title=DJ Deeon, influential and iconic Chicago house music DJ, dead at 56|date=July 18, 2023|author=McNamee, Kai|website=National Public Radio}}{{cite web|url=https://15questions.net/interview/fifteen-questions-interview-dj-deeon/page-1/|title=Fifteen Questions Interview with DJ Deeon|date=August 11, 2018|website=Fifteen Questions|page=1}} He helped with the creation of the Dance Mania label with Ray Barney as well as creating the sound of ghetto house in the Chicago area.{{cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/23279/1/dance-manias-ghetto-madness-strut|title=Do you like house?|year=2015|author=Martin, Lauren|website=Dazed}}
Boyd released his debut EP in 1994, named "Funk City". After "Funk City", he released "Freak Like Me" in 1996, which is regarded as his most successful work. Boyd would continue to release music regarded as classics in the house genre, such as "Bomb 96", "2 B Free", "Wicked", "Back 2 Skool", "House-O-Matic" and "The Freaks".{{Cite news |last=Duran |first=Anagricel |date=July 18, 2023 |title=Chicago House star DJ Deeon dies aged 56 |work=New Musical Express |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/chicago-house-star-dj-deeon-dies-aged-56-3470025}} He was named in the Daft Punk song "Teachers" from their 1997 album Homework.
In 2015, the record label Numbers reissued four tracks from Boyd in the EP Deeon Doez Deeon!.{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2015/02/25/numbers-to-reissue-90s-ghetto-house-classics-from-dance-mania-producer-dj-deeon/|title=Numbers to reissue '90s ghetto house classics from Dance Mania producer DJ Deeon|date=February 25, 2015|website=Fact}} In 2016, a remix of his track "Freak Like Me" by Lee Walker featuring Katy B and MNEK was released on Defected Records, reaching #80 on the UK Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/lee-walkerdjdeeonkaty-bmnek-freak-like-me/|title=FREAK LIKE ME|website=Official Charts Company}} In 2021, Boyd released Destiny on the label Teklife, with the proceeds of the project going to DJ Rashad's family after his death in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.magneticmag.com/2021/06/dj-deeon-debut-teklife-ep-destiny/|title=DJ DEEON RELEASES DEBUT TEKLIFE EP 'DESTINY'|date=June 18, 2021|author=Middleton, Ryan|website=Magnetic Magazine}} Starting from May 5, 2023, Boyd released four EPs over the span of 2 days, those EPs being "Bad Robot", "Glasgow to London", "My CPU" and "Space Age Digital Pimp".{{Cite news |last=Ross |first=Gemma |date=May 9, 2023 |title=DJ DEEON RELEASES FOUR EPS IN TWO DAYS |work=Mixmag |url=https://mixmag.net/read/dj-deeon-surprise-releases-four-new-records-over-two-days-news |access-date=July 25, 2023}}
Personal life
In July 2020, Boyd launched a crowdfunding campaign for his health issues, having no income from gigs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no disability benefits due to his previous touring.{{cite web|url=https://www.magneticmag.com/2020/07/dj-deeon-launches-crowdfunding-campaign-battle-health-economic-hardships/|title=DJ DEEON LAUNCHES CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN TO BATTLE HEALTH, ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS|date=July 28, 2020|author=Middleton, Ryan|website=Magnetic Magazin}} In June 2022, he revealed through his Facebook account that he had gone through amputation and pneumonia and was in an intensive care unit. A GoFundMe had started to cover his medical costs.{{cite web|url=https://djmag.com/news/gofundme-launched-dj-deeon-amid-ongoing-health-issues|title=GoFundMe launched for DJ Deeon amid ongoing health issues|date= July 27, 2022 |website=DJ Mag}}{{cite web|url=https://mixmag.net/read/gofundme-set-up-for-dj-deeon-following-hospitalisation-news|title=GOFUNDME SET UP FOR DJ DEEON AMID CONTINUING HEALTH ISSUES|date=July 27, 2022|author=Buckle, Becky|website=Mixmag}} On July 18, 2023, he died of undisclosed causes.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/dj-deeon-dead-ghetto-house-chicago-dies-1235373448/|title=Ghetto House Pioneer DJ Deeon Has Died|author=Bain, Kaite|date=July 18, 2023|magazine=Billboard}}
Artistry
Boyd's style has been described as minimal and raunchy, a staple of the ghetto house genre.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/house-innovator-dj-deeon-has-died/|title=House Innovator DJ Deeon Has Died|author=Monroe, Jazz|date=July 18, 2023|website=Pitchfork}} He personally described his work as "Get-freaky-with-a-stranger music. Girls kissing girls music. Stress-relief music." He was known for using the Roland TR-909 drum machine as the main backbone of his tracks, the instrument "pushed to the breaking point, asked to provide a waterfall of drum sounds".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jy0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA25|title= CMJ New Music Monthly|page=48|publisher=CMJ|year= 1995|number=20}}
Discography
=Singles and EPs by DJ Deeon=
- Funk City (EP) (Dance Mania, 1994) – incl. "House-O-Matic"{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/18/dj-deeon-star-of-chicago-house-music-scene-dies-aged-56|title=DJ Deeon, star of Chicago house music scene, dies aged 56|first=Ben|last=Beaumont-Thomas|date=July 18, 2023|work=The Guardian}}
- "Freak Like Me" (1996){{cite web|access-date=2023-07-20|title=DJ Deeon, ghetto house pioneer, dies · News|url=https://ra.co/news/79310|website=Resident Advisor}}
- Work This M.F. (EP) (DiKi, 1997) – with DJ Puff{{cite web|access-date=2023-07-20|title=Ghetto house legend DJ Deeon has died|url=https://www.thefader.com/2023/07/18/ghetto-house-legend-dj-deeon-has-died|website=The Fader}}
- "Feel Good" / "Akceler 8" (Caution, 1998)
- "2 B Free"
- "Let Me Bang" (Databass, 2003) – incl. "Ride This MF"
- "The Freaks" (Juke Trax, 2005)
- "Wanna Go Bang" (Drumcode, 2022)
- "Bad Robot" (2023)
- "Glasgow to London" (2023)
- "My CPU" (2023)
- "Space Age Digital Pimp" (2023)
=Music with contributions by DJ Deeon=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soundcloud|djdeeon}}
- {{Discogs artist|1665-DJ-Deeon}}
{{Authority control (arts)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Deeon}}
Category:Record producers from Illinois