DJ DEBONAIR
“Cerwin-Vega! enhances what I do by providing a warm sound that hits hard at all my events. The mid's and highs are crisp clear and warm, and the lows hit hard enough to knock a filling loose!”
Ah, yes, only in America can a pre-med student, bred on hip-hop music, wind up spinning on the 1's and 2's for—of all things—a country music superstar from Australia! You can't script such a wild scenario without raising an eyebrow, but it's true. DJ Debonair is the young man entrusted to get live audiences around the world hyped to see and hear the legendary Keith Urban in action. Believe it or not, it's just what Urban had in mind: bring music's myriad paths to a world-wide audience.
Debonair is no stranger to getting a crowd jump-started. While attending high school in his native Ft. Lauderdale, Debonair DJ'd at a FM radio station at another campus where he co-hosted "The Bump Show." Debonair spun hot tracks and interviewed icons Run DMC, Busta Rhymes and Notorious B.I.G. Upon enrolling at Florida State University, Debonair parlayed both "The World of Hip-Hop" on WAMF-FM Tallahassee, and "The Underground Railroad" at nearby WVFS-FM. "Early on in my DJ career I was playing hip-hop Reggae at sound clashes in Miami, Florida. Whoever has a louder system wins. So I bought a wall of Cerwin-Vega! Earthquake folded horn subs and we won every clash we played at!"
After graduating Debonair soon realized his passions lay firmly in music. From 1999 to 2001, he held three titles at WVHT-FM Tallahassee as an air personality, music director and mix show director. A move to Los Angeles later in 2001 prompted a shift to promotion and marketing, where he worked for several major record labels. In 2004, Debonair created Flawless P & M, a highly successful promotion and marketing company that has broken music from 50 Cent, Jaheim, Lil' Jon, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, D12, Timbaland, Common, Field Mob, Lloyd and Rich Boy. Debonair also wears another hat, that of producer and instrumentalist (saxophone and bass), and has produced tracks for Mario, Brian McKnight, Trina, Trey Songz and Mistah F.A.B. When you have this much talent, it is important to be heard, and that's why Debonair uses Cerwin-Vega! "I use the CV Active Series: 2 CVA-21's and 4 CVA-28's. I really like that it's small in size but really packs a big punch. The CVA system sounds HUGE but fits in an SUV -- there isn't another system on the market that compares."
Debonair kept his turntable chops up spinning in Los Angeles hot spots and at Stevie Wonder-owned KJLH-FM's "Saturday Night Mixdown," where he became one of the city's most respected DJs. His high-energy approach and uncanny ability to read a crowd captured the attention of Urban's management team, who approached DEBONAIR in early 2007 to join Urban's world-wide tour. The combination of Keith Urban and DJ Debonair fit like a hand in glove. Urban's reputation as a daring and exploratory artist attracts capacity crowds and a loyal listenership. "It was Keith's idea to have a DJ open for him and warm up the crowd," Debonair says. "I like his approach in that he likes a wide variety of music, not strictly country. Keith lets me play pretty much whatever I feel: Bruce Springsteen, Fergie, Prince, John Mellencamp, AC/DC, 50 Cent, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin. The best thing is, everyone loves the mix. I get inspiration seeing thousands bobbing to my beat." Since starting with Keith Urban in 07, Debonair has also performed with country superstars Carrie Underwood, Gary Allan, John RIch and his crew The Muzik Mafia.
