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Froggy

1949-2008 GB, London

A.k.a. Steven Howlett Steve Howlett

British soul/funk DJ. Born: 8 November 1949 in Whitechapel, London, England, UK. Died: 28 March 2008 in Goodmayes, Essex/East London, England, UK (aged 58). Froggy 'The Mixmaster' inspired many in the art of DJing. It was in the late 1970s at the Regency Suite in Chadwell Heath near his Goodmayes, Essex home that Froggy would start to wow loyal crowds and fellow jocks like Pete Tong with the then-new technique of mixing. It was only when Froggy returned from a seminar in New York with the knowledge and inspiration of how to mix the different beats of two records over the top of each other, that it really became possible in the UK. Froggy purchased two Technics 1200 MKII turntables whilst on a trip to New York in 1979 and had them shipped back to England due to them not being available in the UK at the time. In the same three-day trip he visited the legendary Studio 54 and Paradise Garage clubs, plus a seminar which taught him how to mix on specially customised mixing units. It was an experience that would change his life forever. Froggy went on to become the first DJ in the country to take two sets of Technics 1200 decks on the road, using a mixer he had designed himself with, Matamp Super Nova, a UK-based company. At that stage he had already toured the country with Dave Lee Travis, DJ-ing at his "Radio One Roadshows" and had gone on to present a regular 25 minute soul/disco session on the DLT show. Meeting New York innovators like Larry Levan took Froggy to a new level. Indeed, it was the crisp yet powerful sound systems at Larry's resident clubs, Studio 54 and Paradise Garage, that would prove the forerunner for the now legendary Froggy Sound System. In 1980, and within months of his return from the Big Apple, the system was wowing more than 15,000 people at a soul all-dayer at Knebworth and would go on to be a regular attraction at the Caister Soul Weekenders. In the mid 1980s, Froggy's radio edits, through his work at the BBC with producer Dave Atky, would become equally as influential as he started attracting the attention of many major artists. He went on to produce the radio edits of tracks like The Real Thing's "You To Me Are Everything", Changes "Change Of Heart", Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill", Cameo's "Back And Forth", Dougie Fresh's "The Show And Booker Newbury, and III's "Love Town". By 1990 Froggy, who had enjoyed previous stints at BBC Radio 1 with Peter Powell had his own show on London's Capital Radio. Sadly, he died at home from a brain haemorrhage on 28 March 2008. He was 58 years old.

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