Photo courtesy of www.facebook/com/DJTonyPeoplesHouseGroup

Young Tony Peoples was only seven years old when he picked up a new toy and a record player with two speakers. He would place one speaker outside of his bedroom window and DJ for the neighbors or anyone walking by that could hear him. He knew at that moment he wanted to be a DJ and he wanted the whole world to know.

Later at 12 years old, his older brother came home with a mixer and two belt-driven turntables. He immediately started DJ’ing a small selection of records. His brother asked him “how do you know how to do that and blend music so easy?” He replied “I’ve been doing it for years in my head when I was pretending to be a DJ.” We both started doing parties for people in the neighborhood where we lived. Word got around real fast that we were the ones to hire as DJs. We did cabarets, basement parties and backyard parties.

When Tony turned 19, he went professional after he got a call that hired him as a club DJ for Tuesday nights at the Grand Quarters in Detroit. The theme night was “Tuesday Night Illusions” produced by Keith Giddings and a young lady named Pam. He played music between the shows. After the show he would mix music for the closeout. That was the beginning of his career.

He has DJ’d for clubs, cruises, major cities and outside of the country too. Even though he had a day job working in the factory for many years, he managed to do both. Now he’s excited to explore the world and see the world while using his talents. Tony calls it “a vacation while working.”

Lastly, he has shared the “1 & 2’s” with several notable DJs including Ken Collier, Melvin Hill, DJ Semaj, Melvin Gentry, DJ Cent, DJ Dream, DJ Red Dawg, DJ Marquis Detroit, Mojo Detroit, DJ Eddie Fludd, DJ Tone and many more.


GO BANG! Magazine: What is it about DJ’ing that attracts you to it?

DJ Tony Peoples: People enjoying the music is what attracts me to it. I basically get a rush from people having a good time and dancing.

GO BANG! Magazine: The Chicago House sound, the home of House, is different than Detroit’s House. How would you describe Detroit House and what is similar and different from the Chicago sound?

DJ Tony Peoples: Most definitely is different, however they are very much alike. Detroit’s House has been known as a soulful sound, hard hitting hand claps and a fat bottom bass with what sounds like a fat woman or a fat man singing. What I mean by that is that we want our House sang by a powerful, mature vocalist, not a lil girl or boy that needs to mature.

GO BANG! Magazine: Techno and EDM are also very popular in Detroit. What is YOUR favorite style of Dance music and why?

DJ Tony Peoples: Disco Dubs, Deep House, Garage and Gospel House because I need the type of House that will pierce your soul. Once again must I say I want a fat woman or fat man singing, not a skinny lil boy that needs his voice to mature. I need a vocalist singing about their problems. Something I can relate to .

GO BANG! Magazine: If you had the opportunity to DJ at ANY venue in the world, where would that be and if you had the opportunity to DJ with any other DJ, who would that be and why?

DJ Tony Peoples: I would want to play a big party on Miami Beach. I would like to spin with Louie Vega. He moves me through his music and for me to be on the same platform to spin with him would be a dream come true.

GO BANG! Magazine: Please describe the DJ Tony Peoples sound to our readers and what separates you from other DJs?

DJ Tony Peoples: The DJ Tony Peoples sound is that sound from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. My format is that I make sure I stick to the basics. I try to keep the same sound I had 30 years ago, so people appreciate me not changing. I’m me.

GO BANG! Magazine: Who are your mentors, who inspire you and who motivates you?

DJ Tony Peoples: Ken Collier, Melvin Hill, Larry Levan and Louie Vega motivate me.

GO BANG! Magazine: The COVID-19 pandemic has caught the world off guard. How are you dealing with it personally?

DJ Tony Peoples: I am making sure I limit the people I am around. If I have an event, I make sure we keep a distance. I also wear my mask. I only go to my gigs and very few other places.

GO BANG! Magazine: What is next on the agenda for you? Do you have any projects lined up for later in the future, after the COVID-19 pandemic that you can tell our readers about?

DJ Tony Peoples: Most of my events are in Michigan. I’ve recently started a new party every Thursday at Georgiz419, 1205 Adams St., Toledo, Ohio 43604. So far, it’s doing well on the patio deck and parking lot. It’s called “Jack’d up and Grinded Thursdays.” I will be doing something in Atlanta in the summer of 2021.

GO BANG! Magazine: On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down, begging for his life and repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe.” This incident has caused civil unrest and massive protests across the world. How do you feel about this unfortunate situation and call for police reform due to the horrible treatment of minorities by the police?

DJ Tony Peoples: I am disgusted that not only a life had to be taken, but the fact how it was done. How could anyone do something like this and not feel it was wrong.


Follow DJ Tony Peoples:
Facebook @Tony Peoples, Instagram @djtonypeoples, Snapchat @djtonypeoples, Tik Tok @djtonypeoples and Twitter @musesolo




Pierre A. Evans is a freelance writer of Entertainment, Music, Art, Culture, Fashion and Current Events, and previously for SoulTrain.com, NDigo.com, ChicagoDefender.com, EmpireRadioMagazine.com, and UrbanMuseMag.com, an author, singer/songwriter, actor, model, poet, dancer, and DJ. He is also the owner of Pinnacle Entertainment Productions. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and on Instagram