My 4th of July Throwback Memory

#TBT (4th of July Edition):

7/4/1983: That day was special to me. Not just because it was a holiday in the summer, but it was also because that year I got to witness first hand how a DJ works. Everything from his makeshift setup to the songs he played had me mesmerized. I had heard it done before, and even saw Grandmaster Flash cut it up in his mom's kitchen in the movie Wild Style, but I never saw it that close up. He actually took an old telephone receiver and made them work like headphones! The funniest part of the day was when he started cutting breakbeats and was cutting up "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson when the block party organizer pulled the plug because he objected to the intro (anyone who's heard the song will know what I'm talking about). We partied all day long, ate food, and played in the fire hydrant. That evening, we walked (about 30 deep) from 43rd & Ludlow down to the Art Museum to watch the fireworks. Walked home when it was all said and done. Good times I tell ya, good times.

It's 30 years later, and I DJ now. I have updated equipment, and I can do work on either real vinyl or my trusty Traktor Scratch Pro. I own pretty much every song the DJ played that day, and have played each song at least once in almost any set I've done. They always remind me of that summer, and that 4th of July. That was the day I decided that if I ever got the chance to, I would be a DJ. To the DJ with the telephone receiver-headphones, I thank you. Happy 4th everybody!