Remembering DJ AM
09/12/2009
What do most of us really know about the late DJ AM? We're aware that he was a reformed crack addict who lost his struggle with drugs, was engaged to Nicole Richie, dated Mandy Moore, and performed with Blink 182's Travis Barker. But there had to be so much more to him, as the music world is suffering such a clear, heavy loss. Here's a look at the life of the legendary turntable master who left the world last month at just 36 years of age.
His Life
Adam Goldstein was born in Philadelphia to a father who abused drugs and constantly lashed out verbally at him. A lot of his father's anguish came from his closeted sexuality. Adam responded to his father's abuse by overeating and indulging in drugs. By the time he was 10 years old he was obese, and by the time he was 16 he was so deep into drugs that he asked his mother to take him to rehab. Unfortunately, the rehab his mother chose was really just a detention center in disguise, and there Adam received even more constant verbal abuse, which lasted a year and a half. Adam dubbed the center a "house of horrors." During his time in the detention center, his father was dying of AIDS, and Adam's own mental health was deteriorating. Upon release, his life remained dark: he quickly took up drugs again and entered into a life of crime, robbing drug dealers for money and sleeping on couches.
The only bright spot in his life at the time was deejaying. Adam had been obsessed with it since he saw Herbie Hancock perform "Rockit" at the Grammy Awards. He started professionally deejaying at age 20, but the party lifestyle that accompanied deejaying was increasingly destructive for him. All of his money went to drugs. Eventually, Adam decided on suicide by gun; but during his attempt, the gun jammed and Adam felt like even more of a failure. But the botched suicide was a turning point. In an interview he said the change was a swift one: he compared his recovery to "snapping my fingers." Adam picked up running, and began to deejay soberly. He laboriously practiced his scratching skills every day. He was a devoted music fan, choosing his songs without prejudice. He mixed everything from '70s and '80s rock, to current pop music.
Adam eventually had gastric bypass surgery, and his extra 100 pounds stayed off. He turned his self-described "gluttony" into something healthier -- he became an avid "sneakerhead." In his lifetime the DJ collected more than 600 pairs of shoes, including a pair of Nike Air Force 1 shoes created specifically for him. Once he had his sobriety, Adam turned even further inward, intent on righting all of his wrongs. He learned through Alcoholics Anonymous that the road to healthy self-esteem was paved with good intentions. He focused on one selfless act a day, eventually helping other addicts, strangers and friends of friends. Increasingly, people were attracted to him for his good character and his ability to remain grounded despite living in a senseless celebrity-obsessed world.
In September 2008, he and his musical partner Travis Barker were severely injured in a Lear jet crash in South Carolina, and both suffered terrible burns. Adam felt incredibly blessed to have survived (his two friends and the two crew members did not survive). The post-traumatic stress would prove unbearable, and Adam needed pain and anxiety medication. Many suspect the pills were a gateway to his relapse. His last non music-related project was the MTV recovery show Gone Too Far where Adam saved people from drugs -- this time on camera. Music Life:
His Music
In the late '90s and early 2000s Adam was a member of the rock band Crazytown, known for its hit single "Butterfly." Over the years he scratched on albums for Madonna, Jay Z, Will Smith and others. Most recently he had a year-long contract at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas. He opened an Atlantic City venue called Dusk and co-owned the Hollywood hotspot LAX. In 2008 DJ AM partnered with Travis Barker to perform a musical anomaly: the live DJing/drumming set called TRVSDJAM.
LA Weekly mourned the death concisely when they said "No doubt the coming week and weekend will be filled with AM dance parties...in celebration of a spinner who touched a nerve with both the masses and the DJ cognoscenti -- no small feat in the snobbish world of beat selectors."
His High-Profile Comrades:
DJ Samantha Ronson, celebrity DJ, girlfriend of Lindsay Lohan, sister of DJ and producer extraordinaire Mark Ronson, twin of designer Charlotte Ronson.
DJ Steve Aoki, L.A.-based celebrity DJ, brother of model/actress Devon Aoki, founder of Dim Mak records (Bloc Party, Klaxons), co-host of "Banana Split Sundaes" at Hollywood's Bardot Bar with DJ AM.
DJ Junior Sanchez, high-profile record remixer (Katy Perry, Madonna, Gorillaz), currently finishing his debut record, which features collaborations by Good Charlotte and Morningwood.
His Life
Adam Goldstein was born in Philadelphia to a father who abused drugs and constantly lashed out verbally at him. A lot of his father's anguish came from his closeted sexuality. Adam responded to his father's abuse by overeating and indulging in drugs. By the time he was 10 years old he was obese, and by the time he was 16 he was so deep into drugs that he asked his mother to take him to rehab. Unfortunately, the rehab his mother chose was really just a detention center in disguise, and there Adam received even more constant verbal abuse, which lasted a year and a half. Adam dubbed the center a "house of horrors." During his time in the detention center, his father was dying of AIDS, and Adam's own mental health was deteriorating. Upon release, his life remained dark: he quickly took up drugs again and entered into a life of crime, robbing drug dealers for money and sleeping on couches.
The only bright spot in his life at the time was deejaying. Adam had been obsessed with it since he saw Herbie Hancock perform "Rockit" at the Grammy Awards. He started professionally deejaying at age 20, but the party lifestyle that accompanied deejaying was increasingly destructive for him. All of his money went to drugs. Eventually, Adam decided on suicide by gun; but during his attempt, the gun jammed and Adam felt like even more of a failure. But the botched suicide was a turning point. In an interview he said the change was a swift one: he compared his recovery to "snapping my fingers." Adam picked up running, and began to deejay soberly. He laboriously practiced his scratching skills every day. He was a devoted music fan, choosing his songs without prejudice. He mixed everything from '70s and '80s rock, to current pop music.
Adam eventually had gastric bypass surgery, and his extra 100 pounds stayed off. He turned his self-described "gluttony" into something healthier -- he became an avid "sneakerhead." In his lifetime the DJ collected more than 600 pairs of shoes, including a pair of Nike Air Force 1 shoes created specifically for him. Once he had his sobriety, Adam turned even further inward, intent on righting all of his wrongs. He learned through Alcoholics Anonymous that the road to healthy self-esteem was paved with good intentions. He focused on one selfless act a day, eventually helping other addicts, strangers and friends of friends. Increasingly, people were attracted to him for his good character and his ability to remain grounded despite living in a senseless celebrity-obsessed world.
In September 2008, he and his musical partner Travis Barker were severely injured in a Lear jet crash in South Carolina, and both suffered terrible burns. Adam felt incredibly blessed to have survived (his two friends and the two crew members did not survive). The post-traumatic stress would prove unbearable, and Adam needed pain and anxiety medication. Many suspect the pills were a gateway to his relapse. His last non music-related project was the MTV recovery show Gone Too Far where Adam saved people from drugs -- this time on camera. Music Life:
His Music
In the late '90s and early 2000s Adam was a member of the rock band Crazytown, known for its hit single "Butterfly." Over the years he scratched on albums for Madonna, Jay Z, Will Smith and others. Most recently he had a year-long contract at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas. He opened an Atlantic City venue called Dusk and co-owned the Hollywood hotspot LAX. In 2008 DJ AM partnered with Travis Barker to perform a musical anomaly: the live DJing/drumming set called TRVSDJAM.
LA Weekly mourned the death concisely when they said "No doubt the coming week and weekend will be filled with AM dance parties...in celebration of a spinner who touched a nerve with both the masses and the DJ cognoscenti -- no small feat in the snobbish world of beat selectors."
His High-Profile Comrades:
DJ Samantha Ronson, celebrity DJ, girlfriend of Lindsay Lohan, sister of DJ and producer extraordinaire Mark Ronson, twin of designer Charlotte Ronson.
DJ Steve Aoki, L.A.-based celebrity DJ, brother of model/actress Devon Aoki, founder of Dim Mak records (Bloc Party, Klaxons), co-host of "Banana Split Sundaes" at Hollywood's Bardot Bar with DJ AM.
DJ Junior Sanchez, high-profile record remixer (Katy Perry, Madonna, Gorillaz), currently finishing his debut record, which features collaborations by Good Charlotte and Morningwood.
