On a late Summer day in 1996, a very young and determined 20 year old boy walked into a gay nightclub in New Orleans called Oz. It was named after the movie, in case you’re wondering. I had a box full of cds that I bought from online shops after scouring the playlists of Susan Morabito and other Fire Island DJs I looked up to at that time. I had no clue what Susan looked liked, or where David Morales lived, or how Michael Fierman styled his hair. Nor did I care. It was a time of pre social media when you fell in love with a DJ with your ears, not your eyes. I had few records too, though I had no clue how a turntable worked at that point. But somehow I convinced the owners of the club I could DJ, and had the music people weren’t hearing in New Orleans at the moment because none of their local DJs were as obsessed with New York and Fire Island as I was. In 1996, Fire Island was the gay circuit. It was the Holy Grail of gay nightlife, in my opinion at least. It taught me what gay men wanted to dance to. Even though I had never taken a step on the island myself, I felt like I could bring that sound to New Orleans, in all of my wildly optimistic youthful ambition.

Oz was in a transitional stage at that moment, and as luck would have it, were looking for a change. Maybe I was in the right place at the right time, or maybe I would have found another way into the career I have now. All I know is that 20 years ago started me off on a journey that I only dreamed of, and keep dreaming of…. 

Thank you for letting me do what I do, and dancing, and listening, and believing. in me…… You are my family.

Love, Joe


Top 20 tracks of the last 20 years - Part 1

Track Listing:
M People - How Can I Love You More (Jimmy Gomez 6am mix)
Ronni Simon - Take You There
Robin S. - Midnight (Tony Moran Mix)
DJ Dado - Coming Back
Rozalla - I Love Music (Fire Island mix - Phil B edit)
Sam Feldt - Show Me Love 
Otto Knows - Million Voices
Blondie - Call Me (Joe Gauthreaux Summer of Love Mix)
Kylie Minogue - Timebomb (Peter Rauhofer Remix)
Mariah’s Miracle (Rauhofer mix)

Part 2 coming soon… 

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Get my current single that I wrote and produced and features Inaya Day, “The Urge in Me” NOW on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/urge-in-me-feat.-inaya-day/id1176400267