Artur, the Lion Cub of the Balearic Breakfast Blog, invited me to share my memories of Larry Levan and The Paradise Garage. I’ve included an excerpt from the interview here. To read the full conversation, just click on the Larry Levan button below.
Nick Jones: Remembering Larry…
In the shadow of every great DJ you’ll find a light of inspiration shining from up above… I asked Nick Jones, webmaster of the website dedicated to the Paradise Garage, to share his memories about Larry Levan… Don’t be shy, enter the Paradise Garage…
1) Hello Nick! It’s an absolute honor having you on the Balearic Breakfast blog! This year, we’re celebrating what would have been Larry’s 70th Birthday (with Colleen paying tribute to the iconic DJ during Balearic Breakfast’s 184th episode). If I’m not mistaken, you met Larry during your formative years, working as a light manager. Could you take us back to those years and how it felt to meet Larry?
Nick Jones – I only knew Larry Levan professionally; we weren’t friends or colleagues. He was a customer at a record store where I worked, and I also did lights for him at Lovelite (as mentioned in my blog). Additionally, we worked together at our NYC party called Wild Pitch.
From 1982 until its closing in 1987, I was a devoted member of Paradise Garage. In 1985, I started working at a music store called Hi-Tech Music, owned by Studio 54’s DJ Leroy Washington. Leroy, a good friend of Larry’s, often visited him at the Garage after Studio 54 closed for the night. One evening, Leroy introduced me to Larry in his booth at the Garage, knowing I was a big fan.
Larry frequently visited Hi-Tech for music, and of course, he never had to pay for anything. He was part of a very select group of DJs who received music for free. It made good business sense because these DJs moved units, not just a handful of records.
I recall one particular visit when the store was bustling with customers. Every record I played for Larry that he liked was also purchased by everyone else in the store. Larry was a pre-internet influencer!