Francis Grasso 1948 - 2001

White DJ Francis Grasso invented the technique of `slip-cueing'

Francis Grasso passed away on 18th March 2001

Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 16:48:24 -0800
Subject: francis grasso
From: bill brewster

I got an email from a friend of Francis Grasso this morning telling me that,unfortunately, he passed away last weekend. He was found in his apartment,alone, with his cat, Abbra, and dog, Dante, on 18th March, though no-one is sure yet how long he had been there. The cause of death is not yet known, but he had been having a difficult time in the last period of his life. It's a very sad end to one of the most remarkable lives in the history of the DJ and worth emembering that when Francis invented what we now know as the modern DJ, he was doing it because he loved music and not because he ever expected to earn vast sums of money. There are many people with a lot less talent who have become considerably wealthier than Francis could ever have hoped to.
His mother Mary has organised a cremation service for today (23rd March), but I though this would be a chance for some of you to remember a genuine pioneer. Tragically, it would have been his 53rd birthday this Sunday March 25th.

From: "Richard C"
To: jahsonic@yahoo.com
Subject: DJ Pioneer Legend Francis Grasso passes away 3/20/01
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 23:13:40 -0000

DJ Pioneer Legend Francis Grasso passed away 3/20/01, three days before he was found in his home.
Other interesting facts: Francis Grasso was a good friend to Jimi Hendrix, dated Liza Manelli, was engaged to a Playboy Bunny, and other famous friends included Jackie O, Truman Capote, Calvin Klein, Andy Warhol, etc...remarkably he remained very down to earth.
The Maestro Documentary staff is pleased to have been able to work with him prior to his death, and have shot the only motion footage of him in existence. He always wanted his story told as he is the unsung hero of dance music, and he was extremely excited to work with us. We are proud to have Francis choose as his story tellers.
We have posted a tribute to Francis on our official site http://www.maestro-documentary.com, where you may learn more about his fascinating life. He will not be forgotten.
RIP Francis Grasso,
Richard Costescu
Maestro PR Director

Francis Grasso, who used to DJ at The Sanctuary in Manhattan, is considered the first modern DJ because "before him the DJ might have known that certain records had the power to affect the mood and energy of the crowd; only after him did the DJ recognise that this power belonged to him, not to records. It lay in the skilful DJ's manipulation of the dancers, in the way he sequenced or programmed records, and only to a far lesser degree in the records themselves."

White DJ Francis Grasso invented the technique of `slip-cueing': holding the disc with his thumb whilst the turntable whirled beneath, insulated by a felt pad. He'd locate with an earphone the best spot to make the splice, then release the next side precisely on the beat...His tour de force was playing two records simultaneously for as long as two minutes at a stretch. He would super the drum break of 'I'm a Man' over the orgasmic moans of Led Zeppelin's `Whole Lotta Love' to make a powerfully erotic mix...That anticipated the formula of bass drum beats and love cries...now one of the cliches of the disco mix." (Referring to DJ Francis Grasso at the Sanctuary) New York in the mid-seventies, from Disco by Albert Goldman. Also referred to in "Behind the Groove," by Steven Harvey, in Collusion #5.

"Back then, you couldn't adjust the speeds. You had to catch it at the right moment. There was no room for error. And you couldn't play catch up. You couldn't touch the turntables. I had Thorens, and you couldn't do that on Thorens. All you had to do was start at the right moment. Nobody mixed like me. Nobody was willing to hang out that long. Because if you hang out that long, the chances of mistakes are that much greater. But to me it was second nature. I did it like I walk my dog."

http://www.torontoraves.com/dj-origins.htm

http://www.rhino.com/features/liners/75595lin5.html

http://www.oocities.org/discoaz/archive/francisgrasso.html

jahsonic@yahoo.com