DJ Deeon
DJ Deeon, born Deeon Boyd in Chicago in 1966, was an American house DJ credited with pioneering the ghetto house sound and helping build the Dance Mania label alongside Ray Barney. Growing up in a South Side Chicago housing project, Boyd developed an interest in electronic music after hearing Kraftwerk's “Numbers” and later discovering house mixes on the radio station WBMX, beginning his own DJ career in 1980 under the influence of Kraftwerk, John Rocca and Soulsonic Force. His 1994 debut EP, “Funk City,” was followed by 1996's “Freak Like Me,” widely regarded as his most successful and influential release, and further tracks including “Bomb 96,” “2 B Free,” “Wicked,” “Back 2 Skool” and “House-O-Matic” became recognized as classics within the ghetto house genre.
Daft Punk referenced him by name in their 1997 track “Teachers,” a nod to his standing among house music's foundational DJs. In 2015 the label Numbers reissued several of his tracks on the EP “Deeon Doez Deeon!,” and a 2016 remix of “Freak Like Me” featuring Katy B and MNEK reached number 80 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2021 he released “Destiny” on Teklife, directing proceeds to the family of the late DJ Rashad.
Boyd died in July 2023.