Biographies

DJ J. Ray

Looking back at how I got started with DJing, I often laugh at some of the trials and tribulations of how I got into the business. The year was 1991 and I was 19 years old, I was living in Tampa Florida at the time when I responded to a newspaper that said, "DJ need, no training required". My passion for music has always been high and I thought being able to DJ would be a great way to stay current with music while making everyone dance and have a good time.

So I went to work for this company, they trained me on how to perform weddings, private parties, birthdays, and holiday parties. I performed 3 weddings a week-end, traveling all over Florida to accomplish the jobs. It definitely gave me insight and training on how to perform shows. I stayed working for this company for the next 4 years until decided to serve my country and enter the Navy in 1995. During my first duty station in Norfolk, VA, I found a disk jockey company to continue working for. This company gave me a lot of work, performing weddings and private parties. Probably the most noteworthy events was during the time when I performed shows on a cruise boat that would cruise down the Chesapeake River. Through my 3 year stay in the area I performed shows every Friday night on that boat. I was being requested to Dj and it was in those times that I realized that I wanted to progress to the next level and incorporate Djing as part of my livelihood. . After getting out of the military, I decided to move back to Florida to start my own Disc Jockey business in 1999.

In 2005 I went to work for another big DJ company in Gainesville as a sub-contractor. During that time I bonded with a co-worker by the name of Bill Fitz. I established a good friendship with him. Due to lack of work we both parted ways from the company but stayed intouch. I heard Bill was forming up an independent Disk Jockey company called Gainesville City DJ and later, he ask me to partner with him on this venture. I accepted the offer and saw it as a great opportunity to grow with the business and work with a individual who shared the same values and principles as I do.

Technology has advanced into an age of computer Djing, as I look back at the decisions made to become a Disk Jockey, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I have performed over 500 weddings and private parties since coming into the profession. This has giving me the expertise and experience to give good consultation on wedding agendas, and to perform at a higher level of confidence during shows. I love the direction that Gainesville City DJ is going in and I'm proud to be a part of the business.