Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1302808
"A DJ'S JOB IS to channel the vast ocean of recorded sound into a single unforgettable evening," wrote Bill Brewster in "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: e History of the Disc Jockey." Sounds like a lot of pressure, but professional DJs live for the opportunity to captivate an audience, share new and unexpected music and, to quote iconic local DJ Shawty Slim, "create the cool." e term "disc jockey" was coined in 1935 to describe someone who selected and played records on the radio. Early disc jockeys were powerful figures, arbiters of cool who thrilled teenagers and mortified parents by blasting the wanton frenzy of early R&B and rock music directly into straitlaced 1950s suburban homes. Disc jockeys helped rattle the intolerant racial and social protocol of the era by granting anyone within earshot access to diverse, captivating musical talent. Macon's first black on-air radio personality, Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee Hamp "King Bee" Swain, proved that a savvy DJ is a powerful cultural force. At Swain's weekly live broadcast, "Teenage Party," held at the Douglass eater, young Otis Redding sang his soulful heart out and won first place in the talent competition – 15 times in a row. In 1956, Swain played James Brown's song "Please, Please, Please" on air for the first time. e raw, pleading tune struck a chord with audiences, who lit up the switchboard calling to request it again and again. DJs chose their own music back then, and Swain showed up at disc jockey conventions ready to promote the Macon music he so dearly loved. anks to an explosion of culture and technology, DJs have changed the face of popular music. Rap and hip-hop wouldn't be the same without them – imagine the genre with no record-scratch sounds, no extended mid-song instrumental dance breaks. No longer relegated to radio station offices, DJs are everywhere – headlining music festivals, playing at sporting events, compelling all your weirdest family members to shake what their mamas gave them or do the Macarena at your cousin's wedding. is year has been rough for performers and musicians, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought live events to a screeching halt. "Suddenly, I'm a liability for doing my job," said Khalil Blount, aka DJ B3. Always ahead of the tech curve, many DJs swapped out in-person events for livestreamed sets. Homebound A BY TRACI BURNS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT ODOM STAYING TUNED DRIVEN BY A PASSION FOR MUSIC, LOCAL DJS TURN HOBBIES INTO SUCCESSFUL, LIFETIME CAREERS 34 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020