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Who is Grand Daddy Dj?

zooter
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  44
Posts :  771
Posted : Apr 19, 2005 10:04
All you people who are regular listeners at di.fm (for those who're not, you better have a look ) -- who is Grand Daddy DJ?

Does he have a different name in the Psytrance world.

All his sets are amazing -- and i can't believe he does not play at parties (my friend has been to europe & he says hez never heard this guy's name).

Link to his website -- http://www.granddaddydj.com/

thnx!

          Interviewer: "So Frank, you have long hair. Does that make you a woman?"
Frank Zappa: "You have a wooden leg. Does that make you a table?"
acidonacid
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics :  61
Posts :  2091
Posted : Apr 19, 2005 11:57

the only real grandaddy I know is Goa gil!
I dont know this one!           
Open your mind...
traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member

Started Topics :  234
Posts :  3803
Posted : Apr 19, 2005 12:02
Biography

Born and raised in Chicago IL, USA John Piraino A.K.A Granddaddy DJ began his venture into music at a ripe young age of 5. His parents started him with music lessons on the accordion, then piano. During middle school, he taught himself how to play guitar. After working many odd jobs, Granddaddy finally bought his first guitar and started playing in garage bands.

Granddaddy started spinning records in the early 70’s. Granddaddy lived 2 city blocks away from radio station WOPA which was the original home of the “Hot Mix 5” mixing team. Although he was mixing prior to the birth of WOPA’s dance music format, he was originally inspired by the “house” music that was played at that time.

Granddaddy always loved new music. “I would hang out at the local record shop every Tuesday and Thursday and wait for the new releases to come in”, he recalls. Influenced by European music, he was always playing music ahead of its release in the United States.

Granddaddy started spinning in clubs as DJ Johnny P during the weekends to supplement his income while he was in college. His musical influences were the local band “Earth Wind & Fire”, “Chic”, “Ohio Players”, and Barry White just to name a few. “I think one of the biggest thrills was meeting Mr. White in person”. He continues, “The man was responsible for so many crowded dance floors and romantic evenings, it was amazing”.

Granddaddy moved to Milwaukee WI to avoid the tremendous traffic jams on the Chicago area freeways. In the 1980’s he started M.A.D. (Milwaukee Area DJ’s) Record Pool. Having music still flowing through his veins, Granddaddy couldn’t resist spinning records on weekends at a local club. “The place was small, but it was always packed”. He recalls: “I think the capacity was 550 or 600 people, based on the sign in the doorway”. “We had to make sure we took care of business before starting work, as the lines to the rest rooms would be half an hour or so”.

Granddaddy was offered to do mixes at radio station WLUM in Milwaukee in the mid 80’s. He was given the name DJ OJ by one of the DJ’s at WLUM. “What does OJ stand for?” Granddaddy asked. “Outstanding Jams!” was the reply. “We started out doing a 10:00 mix on Friday nights”. “It was so popular the radio station extended it to Saturday as well”, Granddaddy boasts. “I was flattered when WLUM asked me to supply them with mini-mixes for play during the week as well”. The audience was so receptive to Granddaddy’s mixes WLUM move the mixes to evening drive time. The mix was then renamed “The Traffic Jam” for its new time slot. Granddaddy states he coined that phrase “back in the day” he laughs. “We would start every show with the Jimi Hendrix snippet from “Crosstown Traffic”. “If you want to see a traffic jam straight up ahead” he pseudo sings.

Granddaddy made many guest appearances throughout Southeastern Wisconsin clubs while he was on the air at WULM. “I remember one club that I was always booked on Saturday night”. Granddaddy reminisces: “There would be a line down the block until 2:00 AM of people wanting to get in”. “We called last call at 2:45”.

When WLUM changed format from Contemporary Urban to Alternative Rock, this gave Granddaddy the chance to pursue yet another love: Computers. Granddaddy left music for a while and finished computer programming classes at a local college.

In the mid 90’s Granddaddy was in Europe to get married Alina. While there, he heard the local music that was played throughout Eastern Europe. “There would be boom boxes, radios anything that was able to produce sound was cranked playing the latest euro-disco sounds”. “It was everywhere”. “Stores, markets, TV, it was horribly addicting for me to listen to this new style of music”. He states grinning.

Having this new fever running through his system, Granddaddy was in hot pursuit for the music he heard while in Europe. “I couldn’t get this stuff out of my system”. “Captain Jack drove me absolutely crazy”. “I tried searching everywhere for his CD’s in America and could not find a thing”. “I was so addicted, that I had to return to Europe to buy music and to visit family”. Laughing he continues “I brought home over 70 CDs”. “I thought the Customs Officer in Chicago was going to detain me, but I must have convinced him that they were for my own personal collection”.

During one of his recent visits to Europe Granddaddy brought a few of his CDs to listen to on the long plane ride. While he and Alina were visiting friends, Granddaddy puts one of his CD’s in their friend’s Boom Box. They recommended that they play the CDs for one of their friends who works at a radio station in Lithuania. A short time later, Granddaddy was back on the radio again. Granddaddy’s mixes can be heard on Radio Labas FM 99.7 in Vilnius, Lithuania and RISE-FM Copenhagen, Denmark. He is also featured in his own radio show which is broadcast on C-Dance FM in Belgium. The show is entitled: “The American Connection”.

Granddaddy’s mixes were so well received that word got Europe where Granddaddy’s mixes are currently being played.

When asked: “What’s in the future for Granddaddy DJ?” he replies: “My love for music will always be with me. I guess it’s stood the test of time”. “I my current goal is to continue with my mixes and to make people move”. “I used to have a saying back in my ‘disco days’, if a toe is tapping, I’m doing my job as a DJ well”. “Not everyone can dance you know”. He laughed. “I do miss playing for audiences though; the wheels of steel keep spinning in my mind”. “It was a big adrenalin rush getting 1500+ people into a dancing frenzy”. “In the future, I would like to pursue the path of getting my mixes pressed commercially, and then get my musician and remixing skills back again”. “Until that time comes, I’ll just stick with my day job”.

Production Credits

Sade – Is It A Crime (Single Edit) Epic Portrait Records
Paul Hardcastle – 19 Disconet Remix

rtfm
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BrainStomer
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  16
Posts :  390
Posted : Apr 19, 2005 16:20
yeah have heard many sets of granddaddy at di.fm... the guy does amazing work.           "When you Dream there are no rules, People can fly anything can happen"
zooter
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  44
Posts :  771
Posted : Apr 20, 2005 09:15
~bump~

any ideas anyone?
Pro.pulsor
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics :  47
Posts :  320
Posted : Apr 20, 2005 16:57
Quote:

On 2005-04-19 11:57, ACIDONACID wrote:

the only real grandaddy I know is Goa gil!
I dont know this one!




Completely agree with u!
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