Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Johnson.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I began in 2023 when a friend of mine asked me if I could be a DJ for her Daughter’s wedding. At the time I was NOT a DJ, but 0nly someone who was highly organized and experienced enough by not only loving music but having that outgoing personality to play music in front of people to get them to dance. So I took that friend of mine’s request and/or advice to be the DJ at her Daughter’s wedding and the rest they say is history.
Thus I purchased all of the necessary DJ equipment like speakers, sound mixers, lights followed by the appropriate advertising and began to build my small business of making moments one beat at a time. My first official gig was the wedding I spoke of and yes it was my first but it’s where I knew this was the right decision for me because I realized that I was most in my element behind the DJ Controller playing music for people to dance to.
I began receiving referrals for another wedding and I found out that I had the knack for helping people out not only with their music selections but helping with the overal itineraries of planning a wedding. I had always been a great party planner and this just confirmed that this business idea of not only playing music for weddings, but helping those who were getting married plan their wedding.
Then came other gigs such as High School Graduation parties and playing at charity golf tournaments actually on the course to help others become musically enthused to actually hit the golf ball better and farther all while having fun doing it.
So today I have a website called deejayjohnny.com where I can be searched on the internet for DJ Entertainment opportunities. I have found great pleasure in providing music for those in need of all of my entertainment services.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I guess the biggest struggle for me has been finding the right DJ equipment and then realizing that the equipment is heavy and combersome to carry around to set up and thus take down at the end of an event that I am playing at. This is a young man’s business and you have to understand that I am 63 and retired. This is only a part-time job.
Obviously then finding the right transportation to haul around all of this equipment has not been easy either as I had to borrow my son’s winter truck all summer long to get me to and from all of this past summer’s gigs. Thank goodness for that.
I guess now the biggest struggle after realizing all of that is actually finding more opportunites to be a DJ at weddings and other events. Then when I do I will probably have to find more consistent means of transportation for my equipment.
I am still very small and rightfully so young in the realm of a DJ Entertainment business so I still have a lot to learn and a lot of space to grow into. The only thing that is holding me back from becoming too big is my age and the fact that I’m getting older every day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Well it’s obvious I am a one man show. I don’t have anyone besides myself to carry around all of the equipment needed to be a DJ. So I have to load it up in my truck, take it out of the truck to set it up and then take it all down to put it back into the truck then take it back out of my truck. It’s a lengthy process by yourself.
Being a one man show I must then do it all. I must be the grunt to set up the equipment and take it down but in between I must become the showman of the event that I am working at all under my individual name of DEEJAY JOHNNY J.
I am DEEJAY JOHNNY J and what sets me apart from other DJ’s and their entertainment business’ is that I simply love music more. It gives me goosebumps or “Frisson” where it doesn’t happen to most people but if the right song comes on or I play the right song I get this skin tingling sensation in my body where it makes me so happy. Thus if I am happy then I know the people who are listening to the music are probably most likely dancing to the music and they are happy too.
I’m most proud of my brand because I handmade my website by myself and named my business all by myself. I know that I will provide the best service of care and understanding for what I can bring to your event because I really enjoy what I do. If you want to bring yourself up then bring someone else up first.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Listening to music in my room on the smallest of small record player over and over again most times to the same song because we couldn’t afford many differerent records back in the day. 45’s were my record of choice as they were cheaper and they most likely had a top 40 hit on it. Sometimes if you were lucky there were front and back side hits.
Listening to Casey Kasem’s Top 40 countdown on my Mom and Dad’s radio alarm clock in their bedroom
Watching American Bandstand on Saturday morning and Soul Train on Saturday afternoons. Grew up with Dick Clark and Don Cornelius wanting to be them.
That’s where I truly fell in love with music and dancing.
Buying my first Walkman and only being able to afford to buy one cassette tape. I played that one cassette tape of the Rush “2112” Album the entire summer from one side to the next over and over again.
You see the theme here…. my life has always revolved around music and dancing
Pricing:
- $2,000.00 for a standard wedding
- $2,500.00 – $3,000.00 for an upscale inside and outdoor wedding
- $500.00 for approximately 4 hours of music playing time at any charity event
Contact Info:
- Website: deejayjohnny.c0m
- Facebook: Deejay JOHNNY’s Magical Sound Machine
