Robbie Leslie was one of a small group of popular and influential

disc jockeys A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile D ...

working in the New York area, Florida, and The Coast in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Beginning his career at

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy once again divided Fire Island into two islands. Together, these two isl ...

's disco The Sandpiper, he moved to New York City in 1979. The list of clubs at which he regularly performed includes many well-known nightspots:

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas (formally 2 Pallas), ...

, Underground, The Red Parrot, The Saint, and 12 West. Leslie was one of the first major DJs to perform at multiple clubs weekly, at a time when management insisted on exclusive control of their artists. This freelance practice is still customary among DJs today. He was also the prototype of the modern "circuit party DJ", travelling internationally to spin at special one-night party extravaganzas, events, and fund-raisers. He would continue as a circuit regular until 2002. He was the last of 10 renowned disc jockeys performing at the marathon 40-hour closing party of New York's private club, The Saint, 30 April-2 May 1988. In 2005, he celebrated thirty years in the night club business, and continues to perform in clubs around the country and internationally. He produces a weekly show on Sirius/XM Studio 54 Radio, "Robbie Leslie Presents" where he shares his classic recordings, current international shows, and legendary DJ showcases.

References

*Reighley, Kurt B. ''Looking For The Perfect Beat -- the art and culture of the DJ''. New York : Pocket Books, c2000. vii, 235 p. : ports. ; 24 cm. *Lawrence, Tim ''Love Saves the Day: A History of Dance Music Culture 1970-1979''. *Shapiro, Peter ''Turn the Beat Around''. *Brewster, Bill & Broughton, Frank ''Last Night A DJ Saved My Life''. London : Headline Books, c1999, 2006. 600p. *Takahashi, Tohru ''DJ 1975-1995''. Rittor Music. *Ortiz, Lori ''Disco Dance''. Greenwood, c2011. 172p.
DiscoMusic.com: Interview with Robbie Leslie

External links

Robbie Leslie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leslie, Robbie American DJs LGBTQ DJs Living people Year of birth missing (living people)